Mysterious Found
by Unknownred
Summary: After being ditched for a date, Sakura mindlessly wanders off on her own to the big city where she meets a stranger who's so kind to listen to her problems. SakuSasu. A/N: Getting back in the game!
1. Chapter 1

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

A/N: I do not own Naruto.

It rained until sunset, and she was still there. Waiting, her eyes traveled about her surroundings, searching for him. Her mouth was form in a thin line, a frown shown on her face. Her eyes had downcast after the seventh time; her doubts increasing every second followed.

'_He's not coming.' _She thought,_ 'Why should he? He never keeps his promises.'_

She waited for another hour, a little hope poking inside her chest and she knew after six years of following your heart, it can lead to no good. She knew that and yet, she thought maybe, just maybe… it'll lead to something good.

'_We've been together for so long and why now, are we distant? I know we're falling apart, but since when did that happened? Did I do something wrong to make it this way?'_

It was getting dark, the red skies diverting to a sea of dark blue. The moon was already out, illuminating the high towers that stood in the cities, the walk way in the park given where she was seated on a bench, waiting hopelessly.

She waited a bit before getting up, brushing the crinkles from her dress and stretched before walking off towards home. She headed out the park, only pausing once to look back, making sure he wasn't there or else she might've changed her mind. She continued walking, crossing the street without looking; the streets were vacant for the night, no cars driven, only the soft breeze that made her shiver with sadness.

She shuffled off towards town, her eyes fixed beyond and towards the big city. The lights sparkling with night clubs or offices still working at night, fast food stations still open for business, maybe even teenagers like her, going off on a date or maybe hanging out with friends and just having fun. She didn't have that…really.

Walking down the road that she and her boyfriend never walks down through, she spotted someone very familiar strolling down the sidewalk, a girl she hardly even knew— hands linked with his as they smiled under the moonlight, their faces inching closer. She stood there frozen to the spot, her breathing hitched, and her eyes dull with regret. _How could he?_

With a forceful jerk back, she stumbled back and carried on with her way home, not noticing someone watching her.

'_Am I __**that **__boring to be around with.' _She thought to herself, memories of them together revolving in her mind as she tried to push them away. She grabbed for her chest, and whispered, _"After all the things we've been through… I knew it was too good to be true.'_

She didn't have an umbrella with her, all this time. She has been waiting under a huge tree in the park she'd grown to play in while growing up. Her hair was drenched as it pasted her face, her eyes dimmed in shallow, and her body almost shivering from the cold. The rain had stopped earlier, and even drizzled a bit. She didn't think it would come to this… Him cheating on her, since when did he announce that they were over? Oh yeah, leaving her in the dust is such a big hint!

She frankly didn't care at this point, she was over him for quite some time now… but she didn't bring herself to allow the thought to overcome her. Maybe the same thoughts registered to her now ex-boyfriend whom seems to have fond over that said girl from before. She trudged slowly back the way she came from, opposite from her home and went the straight for the city. It was eight miles to get there but the girl didn't care, she was free from being owned and she just wanted, needed something to distract her.

Walking about four miles, the girl didn't stop for a breather. She just kept her chin up and eyes forward, trained on the city lights. They were so beautiful at night, she had always looked out her balcony, day dreaming about the future— how nice it would be to live there someday. She didn't expect anyone to notice her since especially her ex didn't seem to either at the time they were dating. A couple of beat up cars slowed to a stop, rolling down their windows, a couple of drunkard men either shouted at her with unkind comments or tried asking her for a ride.

But she knew better. She had learned this when she was quite young, in school, from her parents, from her ex (although she probably would have guess that's how he hooked up with that girl). Gosh! She should really stop thinking about him, she's over him…but it still hurt to see what she saw. She wished she hadn't but then she wouldn't have known it was already over. She wished she never dated him, she wished she never took that stupid bet, she wished…oh, how she wished she couldn't wish at all… wishes were nothing but regrets in the end… she never wants to wish again… _Never._

'Two more miles to go!' the sign planted in the ground stated. The girl paused, only realizing that the rain had stopped and the moon was hidden from some trees that she couldn't see where she was walking. She waited for a while for the moon to clear out but it seemed useless and she started to walk once again. She didn't think of the time before, not asking for a time from when the men stopped to greet her. She mentally slapped herself for not thinking other. She couldn't tell the time from the moon and the sun could be hours away till morning.

Suddenly out of no where, two beams of light rid on the street behind her. The girl paused, turning around to see a car coming straight for her. She shielded her eyes and jumped to the side, falling to the gravel with a gruff.

_Stupid car!_ She heard the car pass her with a zoom and then screeched to a stop and reversed its wheel back to where she landed, spraying a bit of wet dirt near her. She looked up and glared at the car. In the dark, she could rarely see the color for it was a dark hue color and even with the beams on, it almost looked black but she wasn't sure, even to make a report to the police.

The driver's door opened and out stepped a tall person, only maybe a five inches taller. The lights in his car turned on, dim. She could see the car seats were a light brown of leather, and low tone of music was playing. The said person walked around his car towards her and offered his hand.

"Are you okay?" He asked his voice softly audible.

The girl looked up at him and saw his features were a bit clearer now. His hair was sleeked back forming a spike stand, almost like a…well she didn't want to go there. He probably is one though. She didn't know. His skin was a bit pale, maybe from the moon light that has happened to join them. His height had bothered her a bit, for he was a stranger and he could be some rapist trying to lure her in his car so he can drive her to his house and do something to her. No chance!

"I'm fine!" She snapped her voice hoarse as if she cried all night. She snapped her mouth shut but didn't apologize.

The guy didn't say anything back and only looked back to his car and back to the girl. "I didn't mean to almost drive you over with my car. Do you need a ride somewhere as an apology?"

It was a generous offer for the girl but she knew what she stands for. Fresh meat! Like that one commercial on TV, "GO MEAT!" Yeah, real swell.

She glared at him, "No thank you!"

His eyes didn't waver as he looked down at her. "Fine, suit yourself."

"Obviously, I don't "need" your help!" She said, walking around him and went to the middle of the road, "If you please just run me over with your car, everything will be fine for the both of us."

He followed as he saw the scene before him and raised a brow in amusement. "I rather not be sentenced to jail again."

_Again?_

He saw the look on her face, bewilderment cast over her features and she turned her face towards the city, just an hour away from now. "Well your joke earlier could cause someone else's life."

_Oh, he was just joking… That's a relief._

She bit her lip and looked back at him, her hand trembling, not from the cold but from what she was thinking. She was actually reconsidering his offer, his apology! She swallowed what should she do!

He walked towards her, making her frozen to the spot. He went around and towards the driver side, opening his car and got in. He revved the car but didn't put it in drive. He waited.

_He's waiting for me to get out of the way._ She stood there, almost unnerved, not afraid to die if he really did put it in drive. Her eyes followed into the wind shield, into his raven eyes. His hands on the wheel, ten and two, safety goes as followed. She shook her head and turn away, walking to the side of the street.

She continued on, not looking at the car that followed her from behind, just in case she changed her mind. This kept up for ten minutes until the girl got tired of being followed. She stopped and swiftly turned around to the car as it stopped.

"What? What do you want?" She glared at the guy inside the car, "Stop following me!"

A honk blared from the said car, making her glare narrower. She growled lowly and turned around and kept walking. As if her command had sunk into his mind, he drove past her, driving down the highway, and curved the corner and out of sight, leaving her in the depths of the dark. She sighed, almost half regretting wanting his help, after his car provided light for her to walk. Her feet were killing her from walking so much, seven miles, was it? She trailed ahead, following after the car. _Ironic, huh?_

After curving around the freeway, she stopped midway in step and gasped, wide eye as she saw the same beam of lights from earlier. She slowly walked off towards the car, thinking how strange it was for the guy to stop and wait for her. _What's his problem? Does he really feel bad for almost running me over? _She stopped walking once again when she reached the passenger side. The window automatically scrolled down, revealing a trademark of the said man's face.

"Oh," She gritted, "Wipe that smirk off your face! What do you want?"

"Your decision." He said.

She deepened the glare, "Why? I told you to get lost, so why do you keep on stalling?"

"It takes a person to give up walking after how many miles to get to the city?" He said, giving off that smirk again. "Hop in; I'll drive you as an apology."

She didn't budge. She leaned into the car, her arm resting on the rail of the window, "Is this how you pick up girls?"

His face gave off an amuse chuckle. "You're funny."

She rolled her eyes and backed away, "It's alright. If I walked seven miles, I'm pretty sure I can adjust one more mile into my schedule."

"You have a schedule?" He leaned towards the passenger door, and opened the door for her to get it. "At this time of night? I doubt being a vampire is one of them."

"I'm either a nightwalker who likes walking or a girl who's on the edge of being pissed off by a stranger, I suggest you leave me alone and go on with your business." She spat, spit flying from her mouth.

"Do you always speak so harshly to a person whom happens to give out a helping hand?" He asks, quite entertain from her retorts.

"Do you always pest strangers you don't even know?" She shot back.

"I have reasons."

"So do I."

"Well, truth is, I don't like owing people." He said, pushing the door open wider, her full view shown from the top light.

"Look, you didn't kill me, so why do you keep on insisting?" She said, lowering her eyes.

"I'm doing you a favor, just take advantage of it, okay?" He said, leaning back into his seat, one hand on the wheel and the other on the stick.

"Fine," She sighed, "But on one condition."

"Hn." He nodded, smirking again.

"_Do not even think of touching me!" She said, after they drove off. _

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Isn't it polite for the first person who asks introduces their name?" She said, scoffing. She rolled her eyes as if he was stupid. _He probably is._

"Sasuke. What's yours?"

She snorted, "And why should I tell you?"

"It's polite to reply back to the person who asks for your name." He spoke softly, keeping his eyes on the road, in the front mirror and also, glancing at her from the side, "And besides you never said I couldn't talk to you."

She muttered under her breath, and shot a glance at him. "Sakura."

"Mm, unique name." He nodded off, and turned his attention back to the road, reaching their destination— the city. Ever since they entered the city, it was a quiet ride and Sakura enjoyed every minute of it. She looked out the window, fascinated for it was her first time in it and that the blaring lights flashed as they passed by. There were a lot of people that passed in a blur as they drove on, zigzagging their way through traffic and kept on going to who knows where. _I guess I can go easy on him now, he is a good driver, safety and all and he hasn't gone off on his promise about not touching me and he did drive me, but where the heck are we going?_

Sakura leaned back into the leather seat, feeling ever so comfortable in days, her head nodding off to the soft music as Sasuke drove on to his destination. Her eyes felt heavy for staring so long at the lights, almost feeling the rays of light hitting her mind system to shut down for the night. But she can't, not while she was in a stranger's car. _But I'm so tired. Stupid Sakura, you could have already been home three hours ago and asleep in your warm bed! But no! Your stupid emotions got the better of you and you had to walk all that way to the city!_

"Hey, we're here." He broke her train of thoughts and shut off the car, and opening his door. Sakura's eyes blinked open, almost squinting as the big sign above the building blared in her face. _What does it say? Rigolette? What's that supposed to mean?_ She unbuckled her seat belt and opened the passenger door, getting out she crossed over to Sasuke just in case there was a thief planning their way to get her… _I don't have my purse… crap! Did I leave it on that bench? Did I drop it when I saw…? Did I drop it when Sasuke almost ran me over with his car? Oh man, please let me have left it at home, please!_

"Password."

They were now standing in front of a double iron door, placed on the side of the building, nearing an alley. A couple of bystanders were there, smoking and drinking off their night away. Sakura settled her eyes at the door and a pair of eyes looking from Sasuke to her.

"Who's she?" He asked his tone gruff and hardened.

"A friend." _Friend? Since when?_

"Since when do you have friends?" The doorkeeper snorted in mockery, shaking his head as he narrowed his eyes at Sakura giving her a head to toe look over, noting that she had pink hair but kept it to his self. "You got yourself a pretty exotic patient on your hands."

"Excuse me, I'm standing right here, I can hear you." Sakura glared, "Please, by just looking at you, you're worst than exotic."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and shifted his footing, leaning on one hip out of boredom. "Crayon, can we come in now?"

The said man behind the doors chucked, "I like this one." And opened the door for them to go through, "Keep an eye out for her; she's bound to attract trouble."

"Amen to that." Sakura muttered under her breath, but both men heard it and looked at each other than back at her. "Let's go already."

"Do you even know where you're going? Or what this place is, miss?" Crayon asked, clearly amused with Sakura's attitude.

"Nope, but this guy right here drove me here for some unknown reason." Sakura shot a glare at Sasuke. "So since we're here, don't waste my time with your useless chatter."

"You didn't give me a destination, so I chose one for you." He shrugged and walked past her, nodding her to follow him.

Crayon watched as the two teens walked down the hall and out of sight, bickering like an old couple. He laughed aloud when he was left alone.

While Sakura was following Sasuke from behind, they had walked past a couple of drunken teens either making out on the walls and floors, or smoking pot in publicity. They didn't care obviously, but Sakura did. She walked closer to Sasuke, not noticing that Sasuke had turned a corner to open the door to the bachelor party from within and Sakura bumping into a big block in front of her.

"Whoa there," A big, muscled guy about the age of twenty looked down at the said girl and quirked a grin at her, "Hey pretty girl, I think you owe me an apology."

Sakura opened her mouth to speak but he once again cut her off.

"Or," He exaggerated on the word, "Instead, you can blow me as an apology!"

Sakura eyes widened as he grabbed for her arm, squeezing it with his strength and only made her squeak with fright. She stepped back, turning, trying to pull her arm free and bumped into a chest that belonged no other than Sasuke.

"Excuse me, she's mine for tonight!" He spoke harshly, glaring at the guy whom seemed to frighten to back away, "So piss off!"

Sasuke gently pulled Sakura into his embrace and trudged off towards the corner he turned at, entering the party room. Before they entered, he whispered is she was okay and her replying with a slow nod. After they had entered the party room, suddenly the loud noises of whoops, loud music and dancing seemed to creep through Sakura's ears, making her realize they were in a club. He led her to the bar stand and sat her down on a stool, ordering her a glass of water and himself, a shot.

She gulped down the water as it went through her system, waking her up from the recent confliction. "I _am_ trouble." She half whispered to herself but it was audible for Sasuke to hear.

"Rough day?" He asked.

She didn't answer right away as he ordered another glass. "You can say that."

"Hm," He nodded, reaching for the glass and tilted it back and forth, watching the liquid wave up and down, circled, "How bad?"

Sakura eyes lowered on the table, her hands flexed into a fist as she remembered earlier when it was raining and she just happened to be standing across from them as they smiled up at each other, like they used to do to each other, and leaned in for a good night, likewise. She didn't know Sasuke was watching her so intently, her emotions written across her face as her face changed from sadness to angry, from regretful to emotionless. It wasn't hard for Sasuke to know that Sakura had indeed, had a bad day. But it always helped to talk about it. Especially to a stranger whom you've never met, that way it'd be easier than having a close friend. That can lead to trouble. That's why he decided to break all ties with his friends a long time ago; leaving the place they lived in and moved back to his hometown.

It seems both of the said teens have problems of their own. Sakura had enough of thinking of her ex; she shouldn't have been thinking about him! She should have forgotten him over three hours ago! Over eight miles of walking to the city! It was his entire fault! She slammed her fist on the bar table, snapping a few heads their way but returning back to their occupation. She swiftly grabbed Sasuke's glass and gulped it without a care in the world, "Stupid people can't mind their own business!"

Sasuke raised a brow and ordered two glasses, "You want to talk about it?"

Sakura glared at her fist then up at Sasuke then back at her fists. "Don't look at me if I cry!"

"Why not?"

"Do you cry?" She snapped, her voice rising above a whisper.

"Sometimes, I admit." He replied, shrugging, "It depends on what situation I'm in."

"_You look ugly when you cry; I can't stand being around you when you cry." He said, returning his attention to his magazine. _

_Sakura stood there, in the doorway, her lip trembling at his insult. _

"Maybe that's why…" She whispered again, and eyed the tempting glass. _I shouldn't even be drinking._

"_Sai, are you ready to go?" Sakura called from the loft, she was dressed into a white summer dress, pink flower petals printed across her waist. It was his favorite dress that he made her wear. _

_She walked over to his room, knocking on the door. He didn't open it. She wondered if he wasn't home. "Sai?"_

_A giggle was audible inside the room. Sakura's brow rose in curiosity as she placed an ear to his door and heard him laugh in response. She knocked on the door once again and opened it a crack, calling out his name._

"_Sakura?" He spoke, his laughter ceasing as he watched her enter his room. His eyes met hers, but this time it was filled with boredom. _

"_Who were you talking to?" She couldn't help asking and looked from him and to his laptop on his lap._

"_Just a friend from my hometown." He spoke adding no emotion into his words. _

"Just a friend my boot!" Sakura glared at the glass and took a swig of it.

"_But we made reservations! We can't be late." Sakura urged him on the phone. _

"_We can postpone it until another time, Sakura." He said through the phone, his loud sigh being overly loud in the ear piece and along with it, two giggles. _

"_Who's that behind you?" _

"_Who's what?" Sai asked, "Oh, that's my friend and his sister. They came by for a visit."  
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"_I thought you said you were at the airport?"_

"_Come on Sakura, quit getting into my business. I have to go. Bye." And he hung up just like that._

"Maybe that's why…" She muttered, feeling hot tears flowing down her face, "I just don't understand what I did for him to cheat on me like that!"

"Oh, so your ex cheated on you?" Sasuke, unknowingly sat there all that time watching Sakura as she remembered each memory of her and her ex. She nodded.

"We've been together for six years… and he didn't have the courtesy to tell me it was over between us. Instead, I waited all night for him to show up for our date… and you know what I found out?" She brushed a tear from her cheek, and turned to two Sasuke's.

"What?"

"I was walking the path where we never walked home on and on that road, in front of me, stood Sai and some girl smiling at each other and kissing." She swallowed, glaring at him. "I guess you wouldn't know how that feels."

"I've heard a lot from different people, I think I can relate by learning from others." He said, tilting his head.

She swayed in her seat and gripped the bar, her knuckles whitening, and not letting go.

"You know…" She inhaled a breath before letting it out, "I stopped liking him three years ago and yet I had convinced myself it wouldn't hurt to be by his side for another, freaking three years!"

His eyes traveled from her grip on the bar to her eyes which were filled with new hot tears.

"I don't even know why I'm crying over him!"

"Sometimes," Sasuke began, turning his full body towards Sakura, "when you bottle things up for so long, you just have to let it go."

Tears dropped one by one, falling on her already red cheeks, staining them with new tear stains as they slid off her chin and onto her lap. "I thought I told you not to look at me when I cry!"

"What's so wrong about crying?" He asked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handkerchief.

_Everything._ "I'm ugly when I cry."

"Who says?" Sakura didn't answer as she took the handkerchief and wiped her face, muffling her sniffles, "Who cares what he says, not everyone thinks that way."

"Do you think that?"

"No." He responded, his voice sincere, "I think it's natural."

She laughed, "For a complete stranger, you really know how to cheer someone up!"

"Takes practice." He nodded, giving her a small smile.

"Thank you." She muttered, giving back his handkerchief. He didn't grab for it but pushed her hand back, "Keep it; I know you'll need it more than me."

"Oh, but really you should take it." Sakura reached forward and stuffed the cloth into his jacket flap, "I, too, don't like owing people."

"That was the payment for the drinks but in that case, are you willing to pay?" He grinned, showing off his pearl teeth.

She laughed again, loudly this time, "You're kidding me, I'm drunk, man. I got no money on me; it's probably already stolen or eaten by some wolf from where you almost hit me!"

"We don't have wolves here, we have deers'."

"Pish posh!" She snorted, "You really think I pay attention to wildlife when there are so many waiting in line?" 

"Well if you're not going to pay, at least have one dance with me?" He stood up, brushing the wrinkles off his clothes and offered a hand to Sakura whom only looked at the hand and slowly but hesitantly placed hers in his.

"Don't blame me if I step on you." She muttered, heeding after him so closely.

It was packed on the dance floor, the flooring was disheveled and everyone seemed to spin. The music was loud and was hurting Sakura's ears but she didn't care, she wanted to dance for some reason.

"I understand that you're drunk."

"Not that drunk." She noted, holding up a finger, "No, I'm a great dancer…" Sasuke's arms wrapped around Sakura's waist as her arms wrapped around his neck, bringing her closer towards him as he supported her weight.

"Then you'll have no problem stepping on me." He chuckled as her voice slurred and she slumped onto his chest.

"Except when I'm drunk…" She held onto him as the next song changed into a slow and medium beat, making her bop her head softly.

"Then I'll dodge your every attempt." He said, swaying to the said music. Their bodies carelessly dodged drunkards and pushovers as they swiveled past and around other dancers, moving to their own type of beat.

In that moment, in Sakura's mind as she drifted off, all that she was thinking, revolved, _'I forgot to ask for the time?'_


	2. Chapter 2

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

A/N: I do not own Naruto. Oh! Btw, there were supposed to be a couple of stops between the paragraphs, I pasted lines in between the time settings of the first chapter, but I think fanfiction had decided to not do as I wanted… sad face. Anyway, not going to let that get to me; can't really do anything about it… I expect you to RxR!

"_It's been awhile since we talked, hasn't it, Sai?" She said on the phone, her breathing raspy making him shiver._

"_What ever you say." He smirked, "Just don't do anything stupid, okay? Not when I'm not there to "handle" the situation."_

_The girl laughed on the other line, obviously rolling her eyes at his remark. "What kind of girl do you think I am? Of course not dear, I _would_ never be that stupid to go against your wishes."_

_Sai laughed his voice hoarse from talking so much that day. "I'm not forcing you to like me, you know that."_

"_I know," the girl replied. Sai could almost feel her smile through the air, "But I choose to anyway."_

"_Aw," He pressed on, making her laugh again. "You're too kind."_

"_Hey, next time, let's video chat so I can see how handsome you've become!" She said, her voice smoothed her breaths even now. _

"_Did you run a race or something?" He asked, curious on why she was breathing so hard on the phone._

"_Nope, guess." The girl snickered, and rummaged making the phone a little static-y and settled down._

"_Um," Sai thought, his mind racing on the possibilities of what could have made her breathed that way, but to play it smart he replied with a I-don't-know answer. _

"_Silly, I'm doing stretches!" She finally said, "I have a tournament tomorrow evening!"_

Oh._ But it was close, he thought. _

"_Don't tell me you were thinking other?" Her laughing built up, making him flush with embarrassment. _

"_Whatever rocks your boat." He replied, snickering back as her laughter ceased into a fake gasp._

"_Oh my, since when did you start maturing?" _

"_Since I laid eyes on you." He wanted to say, but instead faked a pout, "Offended much."_

"_Oh I'm _so_ sorry. Well you know what they say; all goes well, ends well." She grinned through the phone._

"_And what does that saying have to do with me?" Sai shook his head, "Stupid, don't you mean—"_

"_Oh you know what I mean!" She snapped._

_Sai nodded, and looked over to the clock on his bedside dresser. It read quarter till five and he had a quick little memo flutter past his mind. Not catching it fast enough, it vanished and Sai was left helplessly. _

"_Do you mind congratulating me in person?" She said, "Anyway, I want to see you!"_

"_If that pleases you, my lady!" he joked, almost._

"_Of course it does! I'll be waiting." She said, giving him a sexy tone._

"_Be there in fifth teen." He said before hanging up and tossing his phone at the foot of his bed. He looked up at his ceiling and ran his hand through his hair. Reviewing his conversation on the phone with his middle school ex-girlfriend, no thoughts of his recent girlfriend crossed his mind and he blew out an exaggerated breath and sunk back into his covers closing his eyes in excitement. _Wow.

It was bright, but her eyes were closed. The white covers that didn't seemed to want to open were struck with colorful spots of fireworks. She groaned, feeling a slight pain hit her in the head and spread to the side region of her temple. She lifted her arm and covered her face. Her lips were pursed in thirst as she opened one eye and peeked through the shadows. _How long did I sleep?_

What she saw confused her a bit for she didn't know where or how she came to be in a room so much as look like as her own bedroom, white walls with little frames hanging off the walls, but vanishing at night when all is dark and the curtains are closed, leaving no light to stray through, may it be a car beam or something other. Then last night came back in a flash, memories of her and Sasuke, taking little sips of shots and moving bodies on the dance floor while they sway across, like a figure skater on ice.

She groaned and pushed herself up, propping her elbows on either side of her into a half lay and sit up position, whereas, her upper body is leveled. She felt her head throb; a huge headache impacted as more memories flashed before her eyes. Her eyes, half lidded traveled about the room. Darkness consumed most of the space except the dimmed light that caught her eye from behind the closed door.

_Where am I?_

Sakura had to squint in order to tell what was in the room. On her left were a small drawer cabinet, and a desk with drawers containing who knows what inside, a chair pressed to the desk and across from the foot of the bed, stood a big wardrobe dresser and a closet to its right. To the right of the bed she was in, stood a big entertainment center with a big screen TV which reflected a bit from the dimness of the light outside the room. Suddenly, Sakura felt a wave of dizziness struck her heavily as she fell back into the pillows, her mouth parting a big groan. _Ugh, I _can't _think straight!_

"Spare me the pain!" She cried aloud without realizing it and when her outspoken words sunk into her mind, she flushed with embarrassment, hoping no one heard her although she was sure no one was in the room.

Just when she thought was completely alone, the door opened and a low light from what seemed like came from a candle, someone came in, the shadow remaining in front of his bodily form.

"Ah, I see you're awake." His voice was low, above a whisper, as if to not wake anyone up. "How's the minor headache coming along?"

She growled, scrunching her face in pain, "More like major! Make _it_ go away!"

"If it makes you feel any better, I got pain killers, but that won't make it go away, it'll only stall your headache for a few hours." He said, closing the door slightly, but not close. He walked over to the bedridden Sakura and touched a lamp on the bedpost that magically sparked up and lit the space between them.

It looked as if he hadn't much sleep, maybe in Sakura's mind, because of her. She felt instantly guilty that a stranger she had only just met yesterday was taking hospitality of her, and she wasn't doing anything in return of getting better. She looked up at him, her eyes feeling heavy for a moment. His dark raven hair was messy and tangled; his shirt that he seemed to wear from last night was wrinkled as if he slept in it. But what startled Sakura, was not his features but his eyes that gave way, not a wink of tiredness was varied or shown. _So he did get a bit of sleep while taking care of me? Or was I sleeping that long? Why do I feel like this is a dream? Am I really dreaming? _

Indeed, Sakura's eyelids flew closed, and her breathing in melodic pace, rising and falling. Sasuke bent over, placing the pills on the nightstand along with a glass of water beside it, just in case she happens to wake up and is in thirst of a drink. He then grabbed the chair from under the desk and rest it aside from his bed, seating himself, he watched as the young girl laid, sleeping in exhaustion. His lip quirked up, unnoticed, even himself.

The time flew by as Sasuke sat in the chair, watching Sakura sleep while glancing now and then at the time on his watch. He never could stand alarm clocks, for of each morning, he'd throw one after the other against a wall or from across the room, blaring an alarm as it dies, mechanically. He drew a breath, shaking the sleepiness from his eyes, and yawned quietly, looking back at the sleeping figure. She looked absolutely ridden, with the red shades at the rim of her eyes, and the dark bags under eyes. Her pink hair, which he found weirdly fascinating, wondered if it was natural or dyed, and yet if it was to be dyed, that could probably be her favorite color— was tousled, streaming across the white pillows from underneath her rested head.

His eyes glided down her eyes to the lower features of her face. Her skin was flushed, maybe from the deriving headache she was in, slowly easing away as she sleeps. Her neck was slender like a swan, and her chest rose with rhythm. He noticed she looked really small and fragile as she lay in his bed, but she wasn't that shorter that just a mere inches from him. _Why do you make me feel so_… enlighten?

Was it that? He thought enlightenment? Could this one girl make him feel the way he is right now? Only one night, one dance, pure and maybe little recognition from the night beforehand, why was that, he wondered?

He waved the thought away as Sakura stirred in her sleep, maybe dreaming about the way they danced last night. The way their bodies seemed to move on their own as the music beat above them and swaying along with other bodies in the room. He felt the air around him change.

"Sasuke," He breathed to himself, letting out a huge sigh, "get a hold of yourself."

Later on that day, it was around noon that Sakura awoke once again, feeling slightly better despite having a major headache from this morning to just a minor one. She sat up, her feet tangled in the sheets underneath the heavy blanket that was covered securely around her. She shook it off, letting the heat disperse although really, she wanted to go back and cuddled in the blankets and the pillows that made her very comfortable in her stead. She just wanted, at that moment, to stay like that for a couple more hours. Back at her house, the temperature would be less than 50 degrees. (A/N: My house temperature without the heat is under 41 degrees (I'm not trying to put Mary-sue in here) that is till it gets warmer outside, like Spring-Summer! Happy face!) That's because Sai couldn't stand the warmth, even though his house is warmer than hers. This really puzzled her, after thinking about it for a long time and now that she thinks about it again, she still wants to ask him of it but not right then and now.

Sakura lifted the blanket and untangled her legs from the white cloth, swinging her feet over the bed and got up. Feet meeting floor, a jolt of coldness made her jerk in surprise. Although the room itself was warm, the floor was surprisingly cold. How odd, she thought. She knelt on the ground; her hands faced palm down and felt the coolness of refresh wash over her. Tiny shivers went down her neck down to her shoulders and beyond. Her arm hairs rose with goose bumps and for awhile now, she had to smile. It felt like home, sort of.

Without hesitation, she lied down on the floor moving oh-so-slowly and placed her cheek against the floorboards and wondered how the temperature could be so different from the ground level to air level. She knew heat rose, but that would mean the floor would contain heat but it hadn't. She closed her eyes half way, thinking, fascinated by wonders of how she got herself in this mess. She was supposed to go straight home after being ditched by Sai, unknowingly getting heart broken after seeing such a scene before her very eyes although deep down, she knew it was bound to happen. She was supposed to vent, turn up the heat in her house to high so that it would prevent Sai from coming into her house, if ever the need to apologize which she doubts will never happen. She was supposed to cry herself asleep in her warm covers for being so stupid and hoping that her relationship with Sai wouldn't retaliate with drama involving distancing themselves or perhaps, another girl. She was supposed to wake up in her bed, in her room, in her house and not in someone else's bed, room, house… She was supposed to do a lot of things back when things were still fresh in her mind, but she hadn't because she chose different paths.

There was no going back now, and that thought struck her as she now realized what will happen to her now? When she gets better, she has to go back to her home where Sai will reluctantly lives close by. She'll have to leave the city where she has so longingly wanted to be in for so long. She wanted a lot of things and just to go straight back home after walking so much distance to get to the city, it'd be a waste.

_You're wasting my time._

Unnoticed, the door quietly opened, sneaking a peek inside.

_Go home, I'm busy._

Seeing that the said girl wasn't in bed, his eyes roam about the room but no one seemed to be occupying the space. His thoughts crossed.

_You never give up, do you, Sakura?_

She sniffled, feeling hot tears filling up in her eyes, and were perched at the rim of her eyes, daring to fall as fast memories raked from the deepest parts of her mind and brought to the center where they all mixed together.

_Look, I'm just having a bad day, that's all, okay? Another time!_

His eyes saw something moved on the right side of the bed. A moment and he heard her sniffle. His eyes softened.

_Oh, you can't be _serious_, are you really _that_ worried? I thought you trusted me._

Tears fell from her eyes, down her stained cheeks and onto the floor boards.

"_I loved you and you do this to me _now_, you killed a part of me. How can I _trust_ you, huh?" _She whispered, angry that she was weak and vulnerable. "I can't even go home because you're so close…so close; I can't stand being near you!"

_Who's the one back talking now? See how it feels to be betrayed!_ Unnoticed, he walked inside and crept to the side of the bed, lowering his eyes at the girl on the floor, crying her eyes out in misery.

"I don't want to go home… just yet." She whispered, sniffling.

"Then stay." His voice interrupted her.

Startled, her eyes flung open and she pushed up, her eyes meeting his. "What?"

"I said to stay here then." He said, unnerving. "Until you have the strength to return to your home, that is."

"But," she stuttered, "I can't! I'm intruding…"

"No, you're more of accompanying me." He said his voice gentle with concern.

She wiped the back of her hand across her face, wiping away the tears that slid down her grime face. "Thank you, but I can't."

"That's right." He snapped his fingers and looked away for a moment, "Your parents, they must be worried about you." He looked back at her, "But then again, they haven't even seen you for about a year now."

Her mouth fell open. _What…? How'd he know?_ Seeing the shock expression on her face, Sasuke bent down, balancing and looked her over.

"You told me the other night, when you were…" He lowered his eyes to her fidgety fingers, clutching at the hems of her shirt. _Breaking down. _"Venting."

She swallowed. _Really, now did I?_ "I guess when you're drunk; you become more honest than your mind convinces that you already are." She mumbled, looking down at her hands.

"Perhaps," He shrugged and lent out his hand, "Even without a drink or two, it keeps your mind off of drastic matters, such as yours, of course."

She gaped, and shot him a look, "Was I really that _drunk_?"

He chuckled, "You say it as if it's a bad thing."

"It is!" She sat up, getting on her knees and meeting his level, "I've never drank before… last night was my first time!"

"As most can tell that night too." He laughed, shaking his head.

She looked at him, bewildered in disbelief, "I don't believe it."

"Of course, those pain killers are actually taking effect and by the time you go back to sleep and wake up again, you'll realize what I said is true." He placed his hand on her elbow, helping her up.

"But I—" She started but he continued with his talk.

"Funny how things go! You, having fond over my beverages, taking and devouring every drop and didn't even pay!" He turned to head for the door and turned back around, meeting her eye, his twinkled in amusement. "Then again, I did ask for one dance as payment."

She parted her lips, exhaling a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. "_Really_?"

He shook his head in disbelief and laughed; "Now we're even."

"No, we're not." She breathed out, shaking her head. Her face flushed as the information he was saying sunk into her head. "You took me into your…home and cared for me through out the night. I owe you."

"If you have to point out the obvious, I might as well point out mine; your company has driven away the silence in this house." He murmured his lips quirking at its ends.

"And still it leads back to me owing you once again," She smiled softly, "You continued to ask me to stay."

"That is, if you agree to my offer?" His tone deep, almost melodic as he spoke.

She looked at him with uncertain in her eyes and then towards the bed, where a hidden air of heat arose from where she had slept in earlier. "One question?"

"What is it?"

"Is this by any chance your room?" She slowly sat on his bed again, smoothing away the crinkles of the sheets with one hand while staring up at him.

He nodded.

"And this is your bed?"

"That's two questions." He pointed out, raising a brow and looking down at her as she fell back onto the bed.

"But is it?" She continued, pursuing her curiosity.

"It is."

_Well then, that makes my decision very clear._ She smirked which left him suspicious. "Why?" He asked.

Clearing her throat, she spoke with a serious tone, "I'll stay but on one condition."

"You do know I only let you stay in my room last night because it was closer to the stairs." He said his head shook as he sat on the couch.

She walked away from the stairs and towards the living room where it was spacious to fit a huge swimming pool in. "Are you saying I'm heavy?"

"No, quite frankly, you're a bit light for a young girl your age." He waved a hand at her presence as she trailed behind the couch and lent on it.

"Well excuse me for not eating like a pig!" She playfully spat, rolling her eyes, "I'm not allowed to go over such boundaries as in getting fat!"

"You can now, if you like, since well you're free." He shrugged, reaching forward of the small table in front of the couch that was displayed with a couple of fashion and sport magazines and grabbed the remote.

"No thanks," she laughed, "I rather not."

"Suit yourself. Oh, that reminds me." He clicked the TV on and news flashed across the screen, muting the sound, he turned to her, "I asked one of my housekeepers to make you something to eat since I added that you were quite out of state."

"You mean, ill?"

"On contrary, she knows what I mean; you're recovering from morning sickness."

"I'm not pregnant." Sakura playfully hit Sasuke on the arm and hopped over the couch to sit across from him.

Sasuke faked a hurt expression and looked over at her, "That hurt, you know?"

"You deserved it; anyway, you should have seen that coming!" She stuck out her tongue and turned to the TV which previewed now a few commercials.

"Oh you know what I mean, you had a hangover!" He said, flipping the channels.

"Obviously." She rolled her eyes, "And how'd I get this way? Hm, I wonder…"

"Obviously, you asked for it." He rolled his eyes at her and continues to find a suitable channel where they both happened to be fine with.

"Hm, I wonder how this conversation relates to my condition from before." She asks, glancing over to him, watching at his intention to ignore where this conversation is leading to.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Clearly." She laughed. "Perhaps I may refresh your mind?"

"If you have to." He smirked, leaning back into the couch and settling on a channel.

She moved closer and closer where was only a foot away; her head bent forward, her faces merely inches away from his and whispered into his ear, "About my condition…"

"— _and you're watching Disney Channel!"_


	3. Chapter 3

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

A/N: I do not own Naruto. Again, you've noticed there were no lines stopping where there should be the end of a setting or time, I apologize. Also, thank you to all those who reviewed my story. I will do my part in continuing to write more chapters for this story but you'll also have to do your part too. I expect you to RxR!

_He was walking, hands in his pockets as the sky started to drizzle. He breathed out a big sigh, wishing he had brought with him an umbrella but he was such in a hurry that he forgot, especially when he called the time, giving her his word. He couldn't be late. She was expecting him. She said she wanted to see him. He smiled at the fact she was still in love with him after the things they've been through. _

_He walked around the corner, little shops revealed opened, older people coming in and out of the said stores with shopping bags in their hands, and near it, little kids walking so close their parents making sure they were in sight of not getting lost, teenagers walking dogs, chatting on their cell phone— even texting, others in relationships, walking either close or hand in hand. By the time he looked up, he was at the fork of two roads. He stared off to the right, wondering which path to take. He was so used to taking that road with someone but he couldn't think straight. He couldn't even place the name on the tip of his tongue; his mind was simply just blank today. All that was occupying him was getting to her house on time. He turned away towards the left where he hadn't walked in three years; her house was further in that direction. _

_He continued on, walking. The rain was getting heavier, a shiver past down his back as he felt a swift wind drift past him, whipping his hair about. He bowed his head down, pushing against the wind and rain and walked on. _

_Sai!_

_He didn't feel warm against the cold night that was coming; he could feel the sun rays vanish as it was hidden by some clouds. _

_Sai!_

_Walking as if he'll never get there in time, he rounded a light pole and when he was about to walk around the corner, he was jerked back. His hands flew out from his pockets, out of reaction and he turned to the person who would dare to fight him. His eyes widened at the sight!_

"Sai!" _Her voice was hard and down to earth. He hadn't realized he walked past her house and looked behind her where her gate was left ajar and her breathing was rapid from running. _

"_What, you're tired already? I thought you were doing your stretches when you called me?" He asked, putting up a smirk which added him getting hit in the arm, hard._

"_Jerk!" She pouted and crossed her arms. The rain pitter and pattered around them, hitting the ground like tiny drum sounds coming from fingers hitting on computer keys. The calm sound like a lullaby went through one ear and out the other and he stared at her from head to toe. She looked good. She looked beautiful. _

_Did you not hear me call you?_

_He was out of it again, thinking about her features as it shown bright and heavenly to him. Her hair was bright red, even the sun that jumped out from the earlier cloud, grew bigger in size readied to set itself for night. She was beautiful, even in the rain that was slowing down to a drizzle. Her flushed appearance made his chest tighten and he leaned back against the light pole to keep his balance. Her lips puckered in a pout and her eye brows scrunched in annoyance. _

_Are you even listening to me? Sai!_

_He blinked and met her eyes which held a serious look. "Are you really just going to stand there? You have a tournament tomorrow; let's go before you catch a cold."_

_He pushed off the post and strolled past her leaving her mouth dropped open in shock and astonishment. She stared dumbly after him before she also followed from behind where he led her back to her gate which was left open from her earlier run to reach him. _

"_This is your house?" Sai wondered aloud, "It looks different from before."_

"_My father had the house painted for my mother as an anniversary gift." She shrugged and leaned back on the gate, swiping a fallen hair out from her face and behind her ear. _

_He stuffed his hands back into his damped pockets and rocked back onto the heels of his feet and continued to examine her features as she spoke of how she missed him and other. Her face was pale from the weather; she's always looked like Snow White whenever it rained like this. Her hands were small and her fingers were slender as she reached up to her face and wiped off a drop of rain that rolled from her cheek. She looked up at Sai and smiled at him. He used to love her smiles— the ones where she'd give him a toothy grin. He still does. _

"_You're still the same good looking guy I used to date back in middle school, but this time, even hotter." She chirped, her eyes twinkling in amusement and honesty. _

"_Are you expecting some feedback?" He asked, receiving a playful push. "I'm taking that as who-do-you-think-I-am? Of course I want an answer!"_

"_Oh how you know me so well," She laughed, "Gosh, I miss _you_."_

_I miss you too, he wanted to say but something inside him was reluctantly pulling him back from voicing it. He didn't know what though and why. He just smiled down at her and rolled his eyes as she pretended to bat her eye lashes at him. _

"_You're ugly when you do that." He spoke, mentally smacking himself and yet, it was the truth. He didn't like it when girls bat their eyes at him especially when they wore too much make up. _

_She faked gasp and took a dramatic hand to her forehead, "Offended much!"_

_He chuckled, knowing she knew he was only joking. "A hot woman shouldn't stand on ice."_

_She smiled, warmth spreading around them, "I'll take that as a compliment then!"_

_Oh, how he wanted to take her into his arms, kiss her with his mouth on top and her hugging him with all her might. He wanted to touch her, maybe even inappropriately. He wanted her to hold his hand while they walked across the beach during a sunset or walking to and from a park or central city, claiming to the world that she was his. He didn't want to let her go. He wanted to stay near her, be near her maybe even be her boyfriend again, if she'd let him. He wanted her. He needed her. That was the only thing circulating in his mind. _

_It was getting dark and the rain lifted up again, drizzles here and there. _

_Congratulations, he thought as she looked up into his deep dark coal eyes, matching her thoughts to his but wondered aloud. _

"_Kiss me." _

_His lips parted in surprise although his eyes didn't widen and his face didn't blush but since he wanted to feel her lips on his, he did as he was told. He bent down, as their faces started moving towards each other. Her head tilted to the side, her lips puckered as his lips pressed against hers. They were warm, clearly warmer than his girlfriend's house which he never understood why she didn't turn up the heat. _

Sakura_._

_His eyes snapped opened as the name lingered in his mind, blaring the big signal, a red alert brought his senses back to the girl who was kissing him. He looked longingly at her closed eye lids as they breathed together. Then something snapped in him which brought him to stop kissing the said girl. Startled, she broke apart from him, touching her lips with her tender fingers. She glanced up giving him a confused look on her face. _

"_What's wrong?" She asked._

_The name lingered in his mind, guilt slightly digging inside his chest as apart of him tugged forward. He realized the truth long before he ever started dating Sakura but now he never thought it would have turned out this way. She looked so much like her, her hair, her outer beauty, the way she laughed; it was all the same. He knew this. The only reason why he even dated Sakura in the first place was because she was the replica of his ex girlfriend, Karina. _

_He breathed out a sigh, and ran his hand through his wet locks, "I was never over you, even after you broke up with me."_

_She glanced down at the ground, silence pacing between them. Then, she looked up, catching his eyes and spoke with sincere in her voice, "Don't worry about it, we're official now."_

_He stood there, happy at the fact that they were together again and yet, a slice of guilt choked him from not ending this with Sakura a year beforehand or having the need to tell either Sakura, he was over her and she wasn't needed anymore or Karina, the honest truth which he kept buried under his tongue. _

_His eyes flashed, he had used _Sakura_ as a replacement for Karina and although he didn't care as much for Sakura as he did for Karina, he remained heartless as he was six years before. _

(Line interceding)

Inside, it was warm and dark. The curtains shut tightly from the thunder that continued to boom and lightning to flash before the sky, sending Karina straight into the welcome arms of Sai.

They sat there, on her bed listening to the said storm outside the house. He stroke her hair, untangling the curls that decided to be stubborn. His other hand was on her back, creating little circles, massaging her, hoping she'd at least calm down since now she was in his safe arms.

"Sai." She whispered softly, exhaling a sigh of longing.

He leaned forward, kissing her eye lids as they slowly slid to a close. Her shampooed head smell like a mix of raspberries and strawberries but he couldn't tell which one he liked best.

He let out a small yawn even though he wasn't quite tired just yet. He enjoyed watching her sleep and her eyes snapping open whenever a big clap of thunder struck outside making her cuddled even deeper in his arms, their hands entwining together, tightening, making each other promises that are destined not to break. He loved her, he still does.

"I love you." His voice betrayed his thoughts, laying his head on her head and closing his eyes in weariness. "I always have, and I'll always will."

Karina nodded underneath him, secretly her lips quirked up hidden away by his chest.

The night had passed slowly, each falling asleep to the wooing of the harsh winds slapping against the windows, signaling the storm is at its end. The night died away and morning was descending from its covers.

One eye lid opened, peering up at the ceiling. He saw himself, tangled in white covers and limbs. His eyes traveled from the big bundle of the blanket to the said limbs, his eyes widened enough to realize who was sleeping beside him. Her red hair blazed from beneath the blanket, sprawled over his arm as he watched from the mirror her beautiful face appearing young and innocent. He turned his eyes away from the ceiling and down towards the sleeping form, his lips turning up into a small smile. He watched as her breathing matched his pace. He slowly and quietly removed his hand from the other side and crossed over to brush her soft rosy cheek. She stirred but didn't wake to his relief.

_It's been six years since we broke up, since she gone and left me in the dark. Why did she even break up with me then when we're now together again? I will never understand women but this one seems to understand me more than I sometimes don't understand myself. _He chuckled, _Now, how can I break it off with Sakura? There must be a way I can tell her without her being distressed. _

"_Sai, don't forget our date tomorrow evening at seven, alright?" Sakura said on the phone before hearing an audible "uh huh" from Sai and hung up. _

_She must be wondering where I was last night, _he thought deeply, _What if she went to search for me? She wouldn't come down the path we never walk home from… she'd probably walk the opposite way to get to my house and finding my presence absent. Great, now she'll think I ditched her…again! Argh, I can't help it! Can't that girl even take a hint! I'm not interested in her anymore!_

It's true, after dating a replica of his ex girlfriend, Karina, Sai started developing small feelings for Sakura after the second year of their relationship. But, it somehow died in between those six years, he didn't know when. All he knew, was that he heard Karina had entered a scholarship program for her tennis career and was coming here, back to her hometown in a matter of years to compete in the state championship tournament, meaning he'd get to see her and possibly date her once again. But his gamble needed a bit of improvement and his poker face was the same as usual, blocking Sakura from seeing what was hidden facts about his true feelings towards Karina and behind Sakura's back.

A hand reached up and touched his cheek, caressing it lovingly, "Good morning, my prince."

His eyes dazzled as he came out from his shell and greeted her with a morning kiss on the nose, "Good morning!"

"Did you have a pleasant sleep…here, on my bed…with me in it?" Her eye brows wiggled as she "hinted" him.

He chuckled, quite amuse at her hints and antics, "It was splendid, despite trying to sleep with a loud girl who snores through out the night… probably already woke up the dead."

Karina's mouth dropped and hissed at him, "I do _not!_" Punching his arm slightly hard made him flinch but steadied his gaze on her. "_Did I really?"_

He snickered, rolling his eyes as he rolled away from her, "Well, we'll never know, now will we?"

Karina sat up and grabbed a pillow and threw it at his face, "Jerk!"

(A/N: Haha, not using Mary-Sue! But my friend would call me a jerk but I'd always say "No, I'm a nice jerk! There's a difference." She'd always ask me how and I wouldn't give her an answer.)

Before it could hit his face, he dodged watching as the pillow landing behind him and turned to grin at her meeting with another pillow, smacking his face as he doubled over.

"Oh, that _did_ not hurt!" She laughed, "But, you still deserved that!"

He fell to the floor, the pillow in his hands covering his face and laid there still. She came around the bed and bent down, reaching for the pillow. "Hey Mr. Drama Quee—"

She squealed as he swiftly removed the pillow away, catching her wrist and pulling her down, his lips catching hers. Her eyes widened in shock, not expecting his boldness. She slowly slid her eyes close and fell upon him, her limbs tangling with his as they became like a snake, their bodies wrapping around each other. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as he draped his arms tightly around her small waist, bringing her legs around his. Their kiss was deep and heat penetrated from both of them. He couldn't believe what he did but he sure did enjoy this moment. She took the moment, breaking apart, sucking in breath faster and went back to kissing him. This time, she stole a move and licked his bottom lip for entrance which he gave in, just because…

(Line interceding)

"A guest is supposed to sleep in the guest room," Sasuke pointed out, shaking his head, "That's what a guest room is for."

"But the host is supposed to be polite and provide for the guest, like offering his bed to a lady whom suffered a breakdown recently and is need for a comfortable bed."

"Who's to say, the guest bedroom's bed isn't comfortable as well?" He asked, and slightly glared at her. "I like my bed, that's why it's _my _bed."

"Oh, stop being so stubborn and greedy!" She waved her hand at him, "Learn to let go, you'll get your bed once I'm gone."

"One should follow their own advice," He gave her a stare of 'what-now!' She shook her head in disbelief, and laughed.

"Nah, not me."

"And why not?" He asked, tilting his head back resting on the couch cushion. "I recall you telling me you knew from the beginning what you didn't want to admit to yourself was the truth, and in the end it came out the way you thought it at first."

Sakura took a moment before answer, catching her words carefully as she spoke, "I— I don't recall last night!"

He gave her a 'really now' look before pressing the remote off button and the big screen turned off. The dim lights were turned low for the curtains that hung above the window had let some of the light outside in from within the cracks of the cloth.

"That, besides the point, like you said ever since I came here, my company has taken away your quiet home."

He nodded, "True, I did say that."

"And if I was to go now, that'd leave you…alone in this house." She said, lifting her finger to point out her reasons.

He smirked, and counted off his fingers, "Alone in my house, having the room to myself, including my _bed_… yeah, that pretty much sums it up."

Sakura swung her hands in the air in disbelief, "Are you serious!"

Sasuke's smirk disappeared, turning itself into a frown, "Never been serious in my life."

Sakura couldn't help but smile at this. She shook her head at his acting. "Oh, hush up! You know what I mean!"

He broke into a grin, "I know."

"So…?" She asked, her eyes pleading with a sudden pout. Her big emerald eyes dazzled as it squinted into a puppy pout, her lip receding to pucker in a thin line. Sasuke, being used to this childish plead of the so-called puppy pout, he shook his head.

"If you like, you're welcome in my room when you become scare—"

"Whoa!" Sakura backed away, her pout now vanished, "Me, scared? Ha! Who said I was scared?"

He raised a brow.

"Wait, what am I even scared of?" She asked him. "Don't say thunder!"

_You're scared of getting your heart broken, again. _He thought though his answer was assumingly proudly, "I already know what you don't know of your…fear, that is."

"Tell me then." She raised a brow in curiosity, wondering if he was bluffing or not. _Did he really figure it out?_

"Bugs, heights that is if you're dangling from a cliff, the dark, gangs, et cetera," He said giving her a hard stare, "I can keep going if you like."

Her mouth dropped open as if she had discovered something brilliant. As if on cue, her mind flashed a brilliant idea and her imagining running up to his room with him following fast on her heel and locking the door before he could get to her. She didn't know she did just that.

She ran up the stairs with him following from behind, as he ran taking long strides up the stairs and her crossing to the first room, his room. She ran in, swinging the door shut just before she saw half his face around the corner. Locking it, she jumped and laughed as he banged on the door.

"Sakura, open my door!" His voice rose from outside the room.

She jumped onto his bed, grabbed his covers and wrapped herself around it, cuddling back into his warm, fresh pillows that felt cool to the touch. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking, _I can enjoy this. _

Suddenly the door opened and stood Sasuke, holding up a hidden key. Sakura snapped her attention towards the door and what she saw made her mouth drop, again. _No way!_

"Sakura, there's no escape…" He spoke, his breaths uneven, "Now… about this condition of yours…"


	4. Chapter 4

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

A/N: I do not own Naruto. Since fanfiction doesn't seem to agree with my terms of stopping a setting to another, I've placed (line interceding) in between settings so you can tell which view is which. Oh! That reminds me, I know I had some spelling grammars in the last three chapters but that's because I write them before I go to bed and sometimes I don't finish until late at night (after homework and such) but I did this for all of you, so you can read and enjoy the story. So on my behalf of prying my eyes open even though I'm tempted to stall this chapter and sleep, I expect you to RxR!

P.S. – If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask! And if I may answer any of your questions, it'd likely be told in the story. Thank you!

P.S.S. - One more thing! I'm not posting any chapters during the weekend.

The day went by fast, Sakura realized after looking out the bay window of Sasuke's kitchen. It wasn't that big, it was small actually like… _Mine, _thought Sakura, _well, it's not like he's rich or anything…I hope._ Sakura sat there, slumping over her bowl of cereal, spoon in hand and watched as she dunked the piece of fruit loop down under the milk and pop up to the surface again. _He's seems like a regular kind of guy. I don't recall rich people eating cereal for breakfast._

"Might as well eat that before it gets soggy," Sasuke says coming over, also a bowl of cereal in hand and a spoon in the other and sat down across Sakura. He spooned his meal and lifted it to his mouth.

Sakura watched in interest— out of wonder, though she knew it might've been awkward watching someone eat. But, Sasuke didn't seem to mind which was weird for Sakura because if it was her eating and him watching, she'd definitely feel uncomfortable.

"Is there something on my face?" He asked, after chewing his cereal and glanced up at her.

She flushed immediately and shook her head, "No!"

He stared at her for a moment and chuckled to himself, "Well it seems my face must be interesting for you to stare at."

"I— I didn't mean to— no, I wasn't staring!" Sakura stumbled over her words, trying to correct her wordings before she makes a fool out of herself, which she kind of did anyway.

He laughed and continues to joke with her, "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not polite to stare?"

Sakura's face erupted in red blotches, blushing wholly; she quickly looked down at her soggy cereal, trying to find something to distract her. Unnoticed, she didn't see Sasuke smirk.

Sasuke blinked back, after seeing her whole face goes red. He pursed his lips and erupted in laughter. Shaking his head, his shoulder blades trembled heavily; he could feel quick tears fill up his eyes even though they didn't spill. His laugh wasn't quite low; more of a masculine tenor tone.

Sakura looked up, eyes widen out of shock and lips parted, her bottom lip trembled in embarrassment after comprehending that he was laughing at her. She stood up abruptly; her chair screeched against the tile floors and tipped over. She sneered at him.

"You're a _jerk_!"

His head snapped up and his laughter immediately ceased. Straightening up, he placed both hands on the sides of the table top and glanced at her. She was still red-faced and quite angry for that matter— not really the part about him laughing at her, but because she fell for his joke in the first place. _Laughing at me, what a fool I am for being so oblivious! Argh! _Through her upset face, she glanced down at Sasuke who had a sad-filled expression on his face, maybe feeling a bit guilty for laughing at her. She thought to herself, _he must think I'm sensitive with these types of jokes going so far… Well, two can play at that game._

"Didn't anyone tell you it's not nice to pick on someone?" Her angry face— disguisedly put up. She watched his eyes cast to the windows, paying no heed to her question. _No?_ "Well, it's rude and you can hurt someone's feelings by joking so far… hm?"

The evening sun blared through the blinds, touching up on his face; radiating off his shoulders and making his silhouette from behind, enlarge his profile. _Like Peter's shadow… _She thought, her hand slowly reaching forward. She gasped inwardly as he turned his head and his eyes met hers; her hand attained in the air, midway. Their eyes seemed to move with each other, glancing sideways but held in contact. Sakura lips parted, her breathing spared as the sun vanished from the window and his features remained neutral and ordinary.

He drummed his fingers on the table top, as he sideways glanced at her, his eyes traveling about her face. How her pupils grew big and then small, at just how the sun reached past her face through the blinds, again. It took him a moment to remember to breathe and feel her eyes slowly meet his once again. The drumming had indeed snuck deep into the depths of her ears and she strained to hear her own heart beats, following in sync with the rhythms on the counter. Thump. Thump. Thump.

She imagined closing her eyes, not caring if it was embarrassing for him to watch. But as she felt the sun light hit her face, the warmness spread across her shoulders, made her want to bathe in it all day.

She swallowed. _Those deep charcoal eyes, _She thought_, so much like Sai's. His hair too; even the skin is akin. His smirk is the same trademark, the way his lips quirk up—_

She blinked. Bluntly, she snapped out of her thoughts and flushed bright red again. She did it again! She stared at him and he caught her staring! Her mouth dropped open; shooting a hand to cover her dumbness, she mentally slapped herself. He snickered and slowly stood up, leaning forward across the counter.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Sakura." He crept forward, passing her face and to the side, whispered huskily into her ear. Sakura felt the blush creeping onto her cheeks as he spoke her name in syllables. "Besides, you look cute when you're embarrassed."

At this, he laughed inwardly, seeing as her ear began to choke scarlet. She stood still, firmly still. She couldn't breathe, for he was too close and she hadn't felt this way since her first meeting with Sai, freshman year. "Don't make fun of me," She could barely make out the words.

Sasuke backed away, patting her shoulder, "Come on, it's getting dark and I doubt you want to stick around here with me, alone… in this house… at night."

The sun was hidden again and Sakura's face couldn't take it anymore. The light faded, hiding Sakura's colored face as she tried breathing once again, rushing to keep her composure before the sun came back around for him to distinguish her blushing state.

She snapped her head away and snorted, "Of course not! You had your fun, now it's my turn!"

She rushed out the kitchen and towards the door, where her heels were placed near his. She sat on the step, grabbing one heel and strapping it on. She was still in her sundress, the one from the night before. _I should go shopping for a new dress while I'm here!_ She reached for her other heel but was to slow when Sasuke came from behind her, picked up and examined the size.

"Are you sure you want to walk in these?" He asked, before handing it to her.

She took the shoe and bent forward to strap it to her foot, "Well, what other shoes can I wear that are my size?"

"Well…" He started but she interrupted again.

"I doubt you're the type to wear girl things…" She said, glancing up at him, her eye brow quirked up in curiosity, "Or do you?"

His mouth slacked, his eyes bored with a serious expression. "No, but I may have something to help you out with."

She leaned back, examining her heels that went with her sundress and stood up, brushing the dust off her bottom. She looked at him and shook her head, "It's alright. I'm fine!"

_There's definitely no way I'm going to wear anything from him. I'm fine if he's gay, but I wish he isn't or else he wouldn't act the way he is now. But! He hasn't acted the way any other boy is around another girl, like Sai, he has like a split personality. Sai loves to draw, he once drew me on my birthday, standing on a bridge, looking off somewhere. It was beautiful. But he also claims to be awkwardly unsocial, which I doubt is so untrue, after all, most of the people at school seems to know him… maybe its just me…_

"Are you sure?" Sasuke asked once more, his eyes softening as he looked down at her feet, her small toes poking out from the said heel.

_He's such a worry-fart! Not at all like Sai. I kind of like it, actually. It's different and it makes me feel…somewhat, happy. I guess when I was with Sai, he made me feel… I don't know content but with Sasuke, it's so much different, so much to take part of… Oh why am I thinking this now! I simply can't be having fast feelings now! I've only met him yesterday! Stupid cool-looking, respectful-joking jerk!_

She let out a frustrated growl and shot her hands out in aggravation, startling Sasuke with a sudden surprised expression. She grabbed the door and walked out, bracing herself as the sun hit her face but she didn't care, she simply ignored it and went on with her merry way to…

"Where the heck are we?" Her voice rose over the neighborhood fence. Exiting the house, Sasuke shook his head in amusement and tallied his way towards the venting girl in front of him.

(Line Interceding)

"Sai," She moaned from under the covers, "It's getting late."

He didn't move, his arm was wrapped around her waist tightly. "It's just your imagination, now go back to sleep."

But she couldn't. She was wide awake. Something in her mind flashed past but she couldn't place a finger on what it was. She clenched her eyes shut, thinking backwards, possibly she could think of what she was supposed to do today. But that didn't help with Sai in her bed, curled close, sleeping. It didn't help that he was her distraction. That he wanted to innocently play with her, as she recalled him saying a few hours before.

She gasped, "The tournament!"

"What tournament?" He blinked, groaning at her sudden loud voice.

"Did you forget already?" Her voice rose above a whisper, kicking at the covers. "My tennis tournament is set today, at six! What time is it?"

"I don't know." He mumbled, peeking over the covers and peered at the blinking clock that read 5:15 p.m. "It's only four." He lied, snuggling back down, sneaking a peak at her alarmed face. "Relax. Would you rather spend one more hour with me or rush to get there, finding out you're way too early?"

She bit her lip, her eyes casting down at his chest, "I don't know. I've never been late for a match before, and I'm sure if I'm _ever_ late starting today, it's going to be your _entire_ fault if you lie to me! Understand?"

He thought other, "What are you going to do to me _if_ I did lie to you?"

It was silent for a few minutes, their breathings in sync. Sai didn't move, thinking she must've fallen asleep for she didn't answer quite away or even at this minute. Finally, she reached up to his ear and whispered seductively, "I'll have to punish you."

He snickered. "In that case," He ripped the covers off them and jumped out of her bed, baring her with shivers. "Get up, you have forty minutes!"

She sat up, her head snapping towards the alarm clock. Her eyes widened and she shot out of bed, walking briskly towards her closet which hung her tennis uniform. Pulling it out, she unhooked the hanger from the uniform and placed it over her head and slipped it on.

Out of this, Sai sat back on her bed and watched her get dress. She walked over to her drawer and grabbed a pair of socks. She sat down, pulling her socks on each foot. His eyes melted, traveling down up one leg at a time, up to her skirt and to her chest, and finally her face which had a worried expression written across.

"You look beautiful." His lips quirked into a smile, arms folded across his chest.

She snorted, "Yeah? Well it looks like you're enjoying yourself sitting there like that, watching me!"

He shrugged. "And you even lie to me about the time! You're such a jerk to me!"

"_Jerk," He silently heard her mumble on the phone before she hung up. _

"Did I miss anything?" She stood up, frantically searching around her room for anything to bring to the tournament.

"Your underwear?" Sai joked, sitting up to look at her, glancing at her skirt.

Karina got the hint immediately and went to play along, siding the joke by lifting her uniform skirt midway, not quite revealing what was underneath, "Even I know when to joke seriously!"

She stomped out of her room and ran downstairs, grabbing her tennis racket and walking into her kitchen. Sai sighed and slowly trudged out her room, following her from behind. When he reached the kitchen, Karina was bent over, searching for something to eat inside the fridge. He smirked and strolled over, swiping at her skirt which fluttered up. She gasped and back away from the fridge. Her face immediately flushed red and she glared at him who only returned an innocent look. She grabbed a bottle of water and an apple and closed the refrigerator door.

"Oh come on, I've already seen it." He laughed, shaking his head and followed her out the kitchen and onto the patio.

She bit into her apple and glared some more at Sai. After chewing and swallowing, she replied, "You mean my panties."

"I'd prefer you wear thongs instead." He grinned perversely.

"I'd prefer you shut up and help me get ready!" She grunted, pulling on her tennis shoes while eating an apple which wasn't an easy task for Karina.

"Maybe g-string bikinis would do best for you." He whispered into her ear, making shivers goes down her neck.

"Save your breath." She pulled on the other shoe, tying it, "You're not going to see me in one if I run late and not play in the state's championship game!"

He made a pout which made Karina huff in victory. She glanced up at him, while feeling her toes, the comfortable size and touch of the shoes. _Just right._

"Well, shall we go then?"

"We?" She snorts out of mockery, "I don't recollect you having a car."

"I'll let you know," He began and paused, finding no evidence to go along with his wordings, "Mine's at home."

"Uh huh," She rolled her eyes and walked to her garage, turning the lights on, grabbed the keys from the wall hook and headed for her white Lamborghini Gallardo. Sai whistled behind her and almost printed her car with her hand if not for a slap to the wrist.

"Not on the hood, he's my baby."

"_He?_" Sai asked amusement clearly audible in his voice. "Don't you mean, it?"

Karina shook her head, and snorted, "Not often do people refer their cars as their babies, like country a she, a boat a she, a car a she, et cetera and et cetera. Now we women would like to take part of the sequence by making each and everything a _he_."

She pressed her car key's security button and the car bleeped, unlocking the doors. They walked and got in, seating themselves, buckling in, making sure they're comfortable.

"Oh that reminds me! Referring to 'it' earlier, I prefer we use that term to…you know." She eyed him, putting the key into the ignition and starting up the car, "And not to anything other than 'that'."

"What ever rocks your boat," Sai grinned at her, pressing the button to the garage hidden on top of her headboard mirror.

She reversed the car out from her garage and settled onto the empty streets, pressing the garage button again, the door closed and Karina reached for the radio and turned it, channeling it to 100.5, a song playing already.

Somebody That I Used To Know – Goyte

(Line Interceding)

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They were walking along the sidewalk of the big bridge that crosses over the central city's Big Bay. Sail boats cruised amongst the small waves that washed over another; a big cruise ship at the nearest docks along with other boats lined up and tied to its posts. A little beach close by, teenagers hanging out, swimming, picking up shells and other treasures, holding hands, tanning or sleeping in their beach chairs or towels. There were little children making sand castles, playing tag, or floating in the shallow waters either with their friends or parents, splashing about making happy noise. There also were dogs being walked, taken cared of, and petted by other people, elder people cuddled against each other or walking with their phones to their ear, talking, laughing, and even yelling to get a point straight across. It was one of those moments where Sakura felt mostly at home, like living in a memory she chosen not to ever cross by or remember. She simply wanted to erase whatever they had between them away. But, she knew she couldn't change the past. It was impossible!

Out of no where, a wind started picking up, trees began to gesticulate to and fro, and the joy from below started to fade. Sakura stood atop the bridge, her hands gripping the rails, her hair whipping back and forth from her face. She stared beyond the horizon, waiting to see the sun set before her very eyes, wanting to see how strange it would be for the sun to look so humongous out of no where, in one spot, different from Sai's paintings. She didn't want to think about him, but for some reason every time she either opens her mouth or thinks about something entirely unnecessary, it seems to lead all the way back to Sai. Sai. Sai. Sai. SAI. SAI!

Whap! Sakura jerked back from the railing, her hand to her face, covering the stinging spot of where the wind slapped her hair against it. Sasuke stood besides her, glancing down at the bay that he didn't see what happened to Sakura. One he looked up, she was crouching, her face between her knees.

"Hey, are you getting land sickness?" He asked, jokingly. She sat back, her face revealed. His eye brows quirked in confusion and then he saw it. The whip mark from the left side of her temple to below her left eye; his lips formed an 'O' before he reached out, brushing his fingers against the hair imprint.

"Will it leave a scar?" Sakura asked dramatically, actually bringing a hand to her head and facing away.

Sasuke frowned for a second, turning his head down the street and back up, then he turned to Sakura and knelt down to her level and grinned, "Shall we catch a cab and bring you to the ER? I'm pretty sure they'll know what to do…"

"Just for a wind burn?" Sakura snapped her attention back at Sasuke, her other hand covering her left eye, "They'll probably wrap my head in gauze and I'll be a walking zom-head!"

"Well, what do you want me do?" Sasuke faked a growl, "Kiss your booboo's away and make you feel all better?"

Sakura gazed at him; her lips trembled in holding in a giggle, "If you think that'll help?"

Sakura didn't mean for her question to get out of hand or at least, give little choice to Sasuke who was struggling to find words that'd fit her sarcasm. "What choice do I have?"

Sasuke gently removed her hand from her face and lowered it to her waist, then with his other hand, cupped her chin and leaned forward where his lips were inches away from her eye. Sakura instantly felt her cheeks begin to burn, starting from her ears, then her neck. She sat there innocently, and not at all tense as she should be, but there he was leaning forward, his eyes barely close and there she was staring at his lips getting closer and closer.

"RAPEST!" the last words ended in laughter as a white Lamborghini Gallardo whizzed by.

Sakura and Sasuke jumped back, the words intended towards Sasuke who glanced away, _out of embarrassment? Is he mad that he didn't get to kiss me? Disappointed, maybe?_ Sakura thought, looking away as well, after the white car. She thought she had recognized the familiarity of the person's yell but dismissed the thought of it. She didn't seem to notice when Sasuke got up from his kneeling position and offered her a hand.

She looked at it before bringing her hand forward and letting him help her up. _He really is a gentleman… better than Sai would _ever_ be. _There she went again, and this time she almost physically smacked herself in front of Sasuke.

(Line Interceding)

_Was that Sakura? I thought I saw pink hair… _Sai thought to himself. He closed the window, the fast wind making a whipping sound and had brought Sai back to his senses.

Karina glared at him, at the road in front of them and then back at Sai.

"That was rude, you know!" She spoke, "I wanted to join in afterwards, 'Someone, call 911!'."


	5. Chapter 5

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

A/N: I do not own Naruto. So if you didn't see the last P.S.S., just a reminder: I'm not posting any chapters during the weekend! I'm doing my best keeping up with school work and posting night chapters for you all to read. So I expect some appreciation and for you guys to RxR! Happy face!

They were close by two minutes. Karina had slammed her breaks— making the car swerve into a parking space, turned it off and dashed out the car; Sai carrying her stuff in tow. They reached the arena where the tennis matches were being held. Karina had barely made it, her manager was counting off from his watch and glanced over at Karina signing in, having her name checked from the tournament's players list. After doing so, she headed towards him and spoke in hushed mumbles, her face revealing a secret quarrel starting.

She threw her hands in the air out of frustration and stomped over towards the side bench where Sai was sitting down at, leaning backwards against the tall fence that blocked tennis balls from flying over. Fuming, she turned and glared deeply at Sai whom only looked at her with an innocent curious face.

"This is your_ entire_ fault!" Karina growled, snatching her racket from the bench, "Did I not tell you before we left, that if you made me late, I'll never forgive you?"

"Nope," Sai popped his 'p' and stared boringly at the big court as other players got in their positions either standing or sitting and started to stretch. "You said you'll punish me if I lied to you and made you late."

"Which you completely did!" Karina's voice rose over a whisper, "That, and if you _ever_ make me late again, I'm going to strangle you, you hear me?"

He snorted, "Again? You weren't even late. We got here two minutes before the actual time." 

He glanced at her, shrugging before seeing her eye twitch and her hands clenching into fists, "Yeah, two minutes. I'd probably be disqualified for all we know!"

"Hey, would you rather spend your time with me? Or your precious tennis matches?" He nodded towards the courts while crossing his arms and giving her a bored expression.

"T-That's!" She began, "That's besides the point!" She paced closer to him and the fence. Her red face giving away her anger but it soon subsided when Sai grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a sudden, firm kiss.

"Do I need to buy you some chill pills?" Sai asked in between kisses, "Or would you prefer letting me demonstrate as one?"

She blew onto his lip and darted a tongue swipe before entering his caverns and deepening the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, the racket following suit in one grip as Sai wrapped his own arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"This is a warning." She mumbled, biting on his lip and opened her eyes half way, staring into his own, "Next time, I won't be as gentle."

"That's an understatement." He chuckled and kissed her chin, down to her collar bone and blew soft air towards the crook of her neck. He then leaned in and suctioned her neck and left an invisible red mark. She flinched and backed away as soon as she heard her manager calling her name, readying her for the tournament.

"I must go now," She parted from him even though she didn't want to.

"If you have to." He spoke, his voice dying under the manager's loud calls. "Before you go, let's make a deal."

She stood up, brushing her skirt down, looking back at Sai, "Okay, what is it?"

"If you win, I'll take you out to somewhere fun and afterwards, you'll have to do something…erotic…for me." He grinned foxily.

She gave him a look, "That wouldn't be fair, what if I win, I want to deal something entirely different with you."

"It's my deal, princess." He smirked, his eyes roaming up and down her body, "Either take it or leave it."

She took a moment, maybe even a minute before answering, ignoring her manager's last warnings, "And if I lose?"

"You can have the reigns." Sai snickered at her expression. He knew she was there to win, and even though he chose his deal to be unfair to her, either way, he knew how to beat around the bush and get what he wants.

"Do I even have a choice?" Karina turned on her heel and ran across the court, entering the arena, already giving Sai his answer.

_Let the game begin!_ He laughed inwardly.

(Line Interceding)

_What was that!_ Sakura blinked away the idiocy thought of her close actions. She faced Sasuke as he raised his hand up, flipping it on the side of the road. Coming right around the corner, a black taxi stopped and the window winded down.

"Yo, Sasuke!" A voice from inside the car shouted through the window. Sakura couldn't quite see who the said person was for his windows were tinted. "Long time, no see!"

Sasuke nodded, his eyes directed the acknowledgment and opened the back seat, leading Sakura in first before he went in, closing the door behind him. Sakura glanced at the mirror and met a pair of hazel eyes staring back at her. Startled, Sakura quickly turned her head, distractedly grabbing at the seat belt and swung it over her chest and fumbled with the buckle.

"Where to?" The driver asked, his voice rang with a sing-song tone. His eyes traveled from Sakura to Sasuke, ignoring the questions that were growing in his mind. Sasuke shrugged.

"Anywhere, I guess." He said, glancing at Sakura then back at the driver. "Sakura, did you wanted to go to somewhere special?"

Sakura turned her head and looked at Sasuke, her shoulders slumping against the seat. She licked her lips before replying, "Yeah, I guess I wanted to check out the city. But, I'm not sure where to start at."

He nodded and turned his attention back at the driver, telling him a simple name whereof the driver nodded in understanding and put the car in drive and drove off to their destination. Sakura gazed out Sasuke's window and watched as more cars drove by, either they were speeding up or the cars were too slow or maybe just the other way around. Sasuke, too, was looking out his window as they past big office buildings and construction works, where a few were working on the cemented streets, building upon cracked and useless roads.

Sakura spun her attention back to her window, hoping she didn't miss what had to past as they zoomed by. The driver began to speak, introducing his name in which Sakura completely zoned out from, not hearing what he had to say even if he was touring her through out the whole drive. Nothing was out of the ordinary except the amount of people walking up and down the streets of the big city, entering and exiting stores, buildings, and even alleyways. They slowed to a stop in front of the stop light, letting other cars in front of them cross. Sakura had a chance to view some teenagers walking with their bags swinging from their arms, chatting happily to one another; the boys on the other hands laughing, teasing some of the said girls. She spun away from them and continued to act all dramatic, running past them and then slowing down for them to catch up. She started moving again, and the said teens vanished from her sight.

The car kept moving, only turning right or left to get to their destination. Each wonder had hit Sakura full-face and she was quite surprise how tall some of the buildings were to her than they looked from where lived, the outskirts of the city. The driver kept talking and turned again, crossing over to an empty street where a small school was next door to a small play ground with children playing either tag or on the swings swinging to see who could touch the sky first.

"Just say the word and I'll stop." He spoke, his eyes glancing back at Sakura who had a content look on her face.

She didn't seem to hear him at first but then thought of his words again and placed them together, coming to an understanding of what he originally said. She made a noise, acknowledging him that he heard her. She sneaked a peek over at Sasuke who was absentmindedly staring out his window still, at the big park they were about to be passing. He made a fleeting wave towards the driver who jerked to a stop and cursed.

Sakura lurched into her seat and slammed back into her seat, if not thanks to the seat belt and shot a glare at her seat partner. Her glare was unnoticed when Sasuke opened the door, already unbuckled and stepped out. She unbuckled her seat belt and scooted forward, towards his side.

"At least say something, jeez!" The driver muttered and shook his head, staring at the two.

After closing the door behind Sakura, the driver unwind his window again and spoke, "You want me stay or go?"

"Go." Sakura said at the same time Sasuke said, "Stay."

Sasuke shrugged and Sakura didn't mean to blurt out her answer, changing their minds they spoke again with, this time her saying 'stay' and him saying 'go', and at the same time. The driver didn't bat an eye. He stared at them in boredom, "Make up your minds! I don't have all day!"

"Actually you do," Sakura thought aloud, "You're a taxi driver. If you want to earn money, you'd wait for the customer's decision."

He snorted, "_Or_ I can leave and find someone else!"

Sasuke put a hand on the car's roof, leaned inside the car through the window and spoke in a hush tone which Sakura had to strain to hear but could barely make out any words.

"Well then," He said putting the car in drive, "I'll be around so if you decide to come back,"— He directed his words to Sakura, "Just wait till you see a black car."

Sakura snorted, "Don't be specific; you're the only car out here. I'm sure we'll be able to spot you right away."

Sasuke watched amusedly by the little argument Sakura had made with the driver. The driver's mouth slacked into a deep frown, his pupils dilated; his face flushing crimson. He opened his mouth to speak but instead was seethed through his teeth, "Whatever you say, pinky."

She scowled and gave him a hard stare. She finally had the nerve to even see his face, what he looked like. His hair was wildly dark brown, his eyes was a bright hazel color almost like chestnuts, he had some Indian tattoo symbol of a upside down triangle on both cheeks— _maybe he used to be a clown… clowns wear makeup but that sure doesn't look like makeup, maybe he wanted to be a permanent clown._ She inwardly snorted at her comment. Although Sakura didn't have the courtesy to even listen to him to begin with, she didn't have the respect to do so now. _What's his name again?_

Sasuke looked back and forth from the driver and Sakura, watching carefully as they transferred sarcastic insults at each other. He seemed to tell what she was thinking and explained to her that the taxi's driver's name is Kiba.

"Cuba?" Sakura asked, quirking a brow. She shot a weird look at Kiba and formed a lopsided grin, finding her joke funny which he didn't seem to think so.

"It's Kiba! Not Cuba!" He raged, punching the wheel's horn which blasted, startling Sasuke whom so happened to lean on the hood. He straightened up, moving towards the Sakura as she rolled her eyes and parted her lips, releasing a small laugh. "Sasuke, remove your _woman_ from my sight! She's one for sore eyes and with that hair— you can practically spit gum and wouldn't be able to find it! She's like a pink bobble head, if you make her mad enough, she'd probably explode!"

Sakura's mouth dropped, wide and low. Kiba gave her a sneer before driving away, smoke trailing from where he descended, leaving Sasuke and Sakura in the mere dust. Sasuke rose a brow but still held an engross grin on his face. Stooping to Sakura's lever, he spoke with a comical tone of seriousness, "Better zips that mouth of yours or else you'll catch more than one fly."

Sakura snapped her jaw shut, eyes blazing in fury. Her cheeks flushed and her mouth slacked. She huffed and turned away, marching her way into the park's entrance. Sasuke followed from behind, shaking his head at her childish actions.

As they were walking, Sasuke looked off towards the little kid's playgrounds and off to the right was a big green field where people usually take their pets for a stroll or to play fetch. Sasuke never had a pet before because he thought it was too troublesome to keep or to manage, unlike Kiba whom happened to have a pet of his own, named Akamaru— he did explain almost his whole life during the car ride, for Sakura to listen but she seemed to zone out once he even opened his mouth.

"Did you hear what he said?" Sakura threw her hands up in the air out of frustration, "He completely made fun of my hair, including my head and emotions all in one vent! Sore eyes?" Her voice rose, loud enough to make someone wince, "You got to be kidding!"

Sasuke walked, now beside her and took a hold of her elbow, "Maybe if you at least paid a little attention to the poor guy, he really is a funny fellow."

"Funny you said that, those markings on his face," Sakura cracked a grin and snickered, "proves my theory of him being a clown."

Sasuke didn't smile or add to the joke. He did kind of pity Kiba and maybe even more towards Sakura for she was just a country girl and didn't know what it was like in the city except what she has heard of it. He did know Kiba but not too well, in fact Kiba lived in the city his whole life, he lost his older sister when he was eleven and had to work to pay off his rent and manage his life without a family or someone to tell him what to do. Meanwhile, Sakura had parents but they're off on a business trip, leaving Sakura all to herself to tend to her life. They both really are compatible, in some ways. "_Sakura._" His voice lost all the hardness that he was going to address her about Kiba but instead it came out soft and piteous. His dark coal eyes held a bit of sadness, and he did start to feel a bit of something for the sorry fellow.

Sakura looked up, flabbergasted by the look of his façade, squaring his shoulders like building up a wall with some invisible wind. She lessened her rebelled side of thoughts brewing into the pits of her stomach, wanting Sasuke to stop giving her such a look of melancholy. "Sasuke?"

"You don't know anything about him, except the fact that he's a taxi driver." He spoke, his eyes lowering towards her, "Don't judge a book by its cover. He may be the way he is now, but you have to get to know him better to see the true side of him. He really isn't a bad guy."

Sakura's eyes widened a bit. She hadn't thought if of that way. Sudden guilt washed over her. Sasuke was right. She knew nothing of Kiba and yet she had only made fun of him by the mentions of his features and especially his name. How cruel she was to him! She licked her lips, dumbfounded. A sudden flash of regret flickered into her mind, wanting to apologize to Kiba but he had already sped away and was no where in sight. She cast her sight towards the ground, scuffing her heel into the dirt, mad at herself.

It was getting already dark; the sun was already setting beyond the tall treetops. Sakura stood in the middle of the park with Sasuke beside her, a look of disappointment written across her face. A frown was replaced of her earlier grin of satisfaction. She walked over to the kid's playground, and grabbed at a still swing. Sitting on it, she rocked back and forth slowly, gaining a bit of speed, letting loose of her worries.

Sasuke trailed behind her and also sat on a bobble car that was rooted in the ground. He swung back and forth, a little too heavy for the small contraption. But he didn't mind though. He thought of how he met Sakura that night, on the highway, her determination and stubbornness to get to the city's limit bugged him to no end. Even though he wasn't the type to stop for any stranger— and Sakura was definitely a stranger— her, striving to walk all those miles to the city intrigued him, perking at him. That night, at the club after spilling all her worries and problems, he understood what she was going through, not out of experience but just being there, putting himself into other's people's places. He knew what that was like.

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The ball pounced at the ground and flew back into the air, being quickly smacked back over the net. It went on for hours, different players, and different scores. The day was at its close. A wind was picking up speed, cooling down the sweaty contestants, even the managers of each player, holding their clip boards to their chests, biting their lips out of eagerness or fretting over on if they missed any points to give to their students beforehand.

Sai watched on the sidelines, behind the fence he was leaning against earlier. Not really though, he only watched when his girlfriend was on the court, her match against another. But, he never really took mind of any of the other teams playing against each other. There was one team, in fact, that only played out of fun— not much of game or competition, just simply fun… except the fact that they weren't even in the tournament.

Of course they didn't get disqualified, just kicked out eventually. Sai shook his head in a mix of amusement and haughtiness. He looked up at the pink sky; the sun had already set for the day, earning no clouds to cover its brightness. The sweet crimson color reminded him of _her._ But it wasn't out of neglect that he hadn't thought of her all day, it was how he was going to admit that he had no feelings for her, ever since three years before and that she shouldn't be too bothered, after all— _if that was Sakura on the roadside while we drove by, with another guy… good for her._

He imagined a couple of ways of how he was going to tell her. It didn't go too well, after all, he did create a few faces that made some passerby's give him a strange look. _Sakura, I know we've haven't talked in so long, maybe about 3 years. But I wanted to tell you how I really feel. I feel nothing for you. I haven't for awhile. You see, before I even dated you, I dated this girl from middle school— she's the love of my life, and she still is. I had feelings for her all along. _No.

_Sakura shut up and listen to me. I've cheated on you and now it's over between us. I've a great girlfriend_— even though she used to be my ex, _still, I love her and there's nothing that you can do to change that. _No.

_Sakura, I've been meaning to talk to you about something important. Well, that day we were supposed to go on a date… I didn't mean to ditch you; I actually promised someone I'd congratulate her, face to face. I've known her for a long time, I've even dated her; in fact, she was my ex and now… she's my girlfriend. So if this isn't clear between us… just say the word and I'll disappear from your sight. _…. No!

_Sakura, I— _No. _Sakura, I can explain—_ No. _Sakura, it's the matter of life or dea—_ NO! _Sakura. Sakura. Sakura. SAKURA! _SAKURA! NO! NO! NO! NO! _No…_!

Sai heaved out a huge sigh and leaned forward onto his knees, a mass of hair falling over his eyes, hiding his pale face. He inhaled, breathing hard from the weariness of thinking too hard. He really needed to take a break from all this drama. Especially when he's the one creating them. Maybe he _is_ the one who needs a chill pill.

He brushed his hand through his hair and opened his eyes to see Karina walk up to the court, get into her stance position and started off, throwing the ball in the air and jumped, striking the ball with her racket. It flew high up and over the net, scoring a two as the other opponent missed. Sai didn't smile at this, at her even when she turned around and glanced over at him. He was in enough mess but he really wanted to straight it all out. But first, he had to deal with Sakura.

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A/N: Hey guys, sorry if this chapter is too short. I've come to realize it's a bit late tonight and that I need to wake up early in the morning for school… school, can't wait to graduate… Happy smile! Anyway, please excuse my absence for tonight. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and are hoping for the next chapters to be posted soon. Don't worry; this story isn't going any where…just yet. I expect feedback, by the way!


	6. Chapter 6

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

A/N: I do not own Naruto. Hey! I just wanted to acknowledge several people whom insisted in (on) commenting, put my story on alert, or added my story to favorites or added me as one of their favorite authors! So if you're in the ACKNOWLEDGMENT LIST, do **NOT** skip over this to the story! Find YOUR name and be APPRECIATIVE!

I want to thank Ur worst nightmare452 for reading my story and keeping updates on it! Happy face! It really makes me happy to know that some people (like yourself) is dedicated to finding out what is going to happen next in later chapters! So thank you!

I want to thank blackmoonlight15, "nobody", Mathamatica-chan, and Tiger Priestess for reading my story and although I have not seen anymore reviews from you all, I'm sure you'll get by reading more and more chapters ASAP! Wink face!

I also want to thank Laurie-Estelle for putting my story in her favorites list and of course— on alert! Happy face! Its okay if there are little reviews for now, but maybe if by favor— spread the word to your friends who are Naruto-fanfiction-fans to read this story! Thanks!

For those who added "Mysterious Found" on their story-alert, favorite stories, and/ or favorite authors list… you know who you are… AND in order too!

XxXFiReBeNdErXxX

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Tiger Priestess

Mewkie

XxBeAuTiFul bLoSsUmxX

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SaNcTuArYXXXXbLoSsOm

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Mistyjet (Hey there "Jet", can you help me on a problem? I can't really tell if the "review" is girly or not because I didn't get any reviews from you or her. So I'm kind of stuck on who added my story to the favorite list. But thank you anyway for adding my story to your favorite list! Happy Face!)

CiiCiinREX

AND

DontTrustMeLoVeLeSs

… THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AND REVIEWS.

P.S. – As I recall from previous chapters, I expect you ALL to RxR! Perhaps if I missed recognizing any other reviewer, just post me an awesome review and tack a small note that you'd like to be acknowledge too. I'll be happy to oblige!

_It's over. _

_(Indent) Sincerely, Karina._

_The note was placed neatly on his desk at school, all folded and not a creased left evident to how long it was touched. Sai stood there, still. Feeling almost rooted to the ground as if having his flower petals plucked wasn't hard enough. His shadow casted over the rows of desks, almost reaching the walls as the sun had set beyond the windows, noting that the day has come to an end. _

_His eyes grew dark and hallow, almost as if he had no eyes at all. His face had gone all pale as if he was going to be sick. The only thought that was running around in his mind was the words "What?" and "It's over?" His raven hair was matted to his face with sweat; he had just come back from scrubbing the art room with a few other students— where a couple of students decided it'd be fun to have a paint war. Yeah, right. _

_His crumbled the small note in his fist, balling it up and raised his hand— almost sending it flying through the air. But, he couldn't. Not yet. Maybe he was interpreting the note wrong. Maybe Karina had made a bet with him some time ago that even he doesn't remember making any. Or maybe… _she doesn't love me anymore_ were his exact thoughts. How could she? His eyes traveled over her bolded scriptures scrawled across the white parchment paper. No stains were evident meaning she wasn't in a rush; she had all the time in the world. His mouth slacked into a deep frown, his eyes brows were knitted in irritation and anxiety. His eyes moved on their own, searching for something to tell him this was all a prank. But it wasn't, he knew that. But he didn't know why. _Why?

_From afar, voices ascended down the hall from his classroom. He mustered what was left of his energy, grabbed his bag and walked out the room with the compressed note in his grip. His eyes betrayed what he was feeling and it was unmistakable that when the students past by him, giving him their valedictions, they hesitated and instead shrug a wave and went on with their happy lives. Sai sped-walk, turning a corner and met up at the dead end and at the left was a stairwell that led to the school's roof. He climbed those stairs as if his life depended on them, gripping the rails, his knuckles white. _

_Bursting through the door, wind slapped his face, his hair flying in different directions but he didn't care. He raced to the outer railings, the school's edged fence. He threw himself against the bars and looked out at the sun, the birds flying, down below at some students walking out of the gates to the school, and the house tops and buildings that surrounded the area. He could practically see the whole country if he wanted to, maybe even the whole world! But _she_ is his world. Was… was his only world and now she's gone. Done with him. _

_He swallowed hard; his eyes glaring at the now set moon that rose in the pink skies. He hated the thought of it, the color of the sky, the cowardly act she put on with leaving him a note instead of her saying it to his face. Why…?_

_They were doing great as a couple, they did what most couples do: go on a date, hold hands, walk the girlfriend home, maybe even have their first kiss, laugh and tease each other. What more could she possibly want from him than what he already provided? She didn't say anything! He thought angrily, what could she have possibly wanted from me?_

_He was bold, he was daring! Even if he was quiet when it came to art, he was social for her and her friends. He was competitive; he was always the wise one, the cool dude, the one that was _always_ there for her! So then, why did she go and ditch him like that? They were supposed to hang out tonight, go watch a movie at his house, cuddle against each other on his bed and maybe he'd take his relationship to the next level. But the thought of the note reminded him that she left him, told him off before he could even make the move. He was too late, he thought. "I was too late…" his voice came below a whisper, disappearing as a plane flew overhead, muffling his words for only him to hear unclear and break up sentences. _

He sat there, eyes fixated on the game before him. Karina was more than 20 points ahead of her opponent. She was determined; sweat ran down her face, her neck, showing off stains under her arm pits. Her long legs ran from each sides of the courts, swiftly pulling back her racket and aiming it at the target as it flew back over the next, again earning another two points. This was no ordinary game of tennis; they had added a bonus curve. He heard Karina say on the phone last night. Deep meaning poked him torturously, having his heart thump in exaggeration.

Sai sighed, cutting off the watch just as Karina flashed him a glance and returned with a confused look on her face. Unnoticed, Sai turned half way around, leaning back against the steps of the bench, closing his eyes. The vague memory was tossing around in his mind, almost making him mad, maybe even vexed.

_A year went by and Sai had entered the ninth grade. He didn't make as much friends as he did with Karina's friends back in middle school. He sighed deeply having thought of Karina made his heart ache. He had built a wall, masking his emotions to a minimum of necessity. That was when he had met Sakura. She was walking down the hallway, carrying her school books in one arm, a couple of other books in the other arm, her swing bag on her shoulder and a pack of papers in her hands. Sai didn't know he was forth seeing her before he even realized how close they were into bumping into each other. At the last second, when she looked up and their eyes met, she made a quick spiral turn and swept around him before straightening herself up and walking onwards. He stood there, his back turned from hers, his eyes widened with shock. She looked so much alike like Karina and yet, she had her own personality set aside from Karina that he too, decided it was best to ignore both girls, including Sakura. _

_Sophomore year had flown around the corner and even Sai had forgotten his intentions when he had almost every class with Sakura. Maybe this was fate; he thought but shook the idea away. He didn't understand why she was always where he was. She'd come out the girl's bathroom whenever he happened to walk past by. She'd give him a look and then giggle, shaking her head and walk to her destination. Where as, Sai would stand there thinking to himself she must have thought he was either there to wait for someone, maybe her? Or that he's stalking someone. Of course, it must have been the first suggestion or else she wouldn't have laughed at him. Then the deliberation of thinking too hard, he came to the conclusion of realizing that he kept thinking about this said girl. Sakura Haruno, her name is. She has natural pink hair and with her clear jade eyes, it was almost too good to even be looking at her. She should be put in placement at a jewelry museum. Her voice, whenever he heard her talk in class, towards the student body or whenever she'd at least tried to talk to him was sweet and smooth, unlike Karina's who was always loud and practical. They both were smart and determined! They both had the same tastes, in clothes and music, in food and in economical terms. They both were almost like sisters if only Sakura had the same eyes and hair as Karina and maybe even the same personality, or similar names. But they don't. They weren't and even if they were, there couldn't be a chance that they both go for him, share him! _

_Well there goes a turn on. _

Sai squinted his eyes tightly, holding down the pressure that built from inside his pants; his breathing became rather heavy and unsettling. 

(A/N: Sorry, I have a headache at the moment and I'm actually multi-tasking right now. So bear with me… and the time… I know I haven't posted any chapters lately since… I think, Wednesday? I'm trying to make up for those days I missed. Thanks.)

He pressed his hand over his face, pinching his nose rim and concentrating on hearing the pounding foot steps of the players running after the ball, the whistles blowing after a win, and the crowd murmuring quiet bets. He inhaled deeply and let out a big sigh, even a frustrated groan.

Shaking his head, he turned back around at Karina, hoping she'd be a distraction from his previous thoughts. Even that, didn't help for she was the cause to his earlier tragic break up. He still didn't know the answer to why she even broke up with him in the beginning. He'll have to ask her that later on after the game, maybe even after he gets his reward… if she wins, that is.

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Sakura walked on the left of Sasuke, swinging her arms by her side and striding to keep up with how slow Sasuke was walking. She slowed but then she'd get ahead and then pause for him to catch up. Shaking her head, she'd sometimes look behind her and gave him a small smile.

Sasuke didn't mind walking slow; he always wanted to enjoy the scenery in front or even around him. He had all the time in the world to do so, why not enjoy it while he has the chance? He paused a moment, to give a bit of a distance between him and Sakura as she skipped forward and whenever she'd pause to look back, he'd start walking again.

A memory flashed in Sakura's mind, a thought crossing her interest and she spoke up, breaking the silence, "Are there any stores around here?"

"Of course, this is the city after all." He replied, rolling his eyes as she darted a glare at him.

"I know that," She spat, stopping and placing a hand on her hip. "I was just asking. You don't have to be so rude about it."

He muttered something under his breath that Sakura couldn't catch for she was about seven feet away. He walked up to her and directed the way to a few stores around the corner from the exit of the park. While they walked, Sakura watched as the sky was turning a shade of orange mixed with purple. Night had come so quickly and the thought of the sky reminded her of the colors Sai used to paint his portraits.

"_Come here." He waved Sakura over, not getting up from his seat as he peered at Sakura from his door. _

_She didn't hesitate to walk in. She crossed over to him as he turned around to put the paint brush in a cup of water, the colors turning a hue of dirty green. Sai swiveled his chair to face her, his face unnerved as he told her to lean on the bay window's banister._

"_Stay like that and look beyond the horizon." He ordered, giving her clear instructions what to do. _

_Surprised, she did as she was told— her face blushed with color. She leaned against the railing and looked off at the colorful sky, the pink clouds disappearing and turning the color to an orange mixed with purple hues. It was plain beauty. For Sakura, Sai thought the same. Blinking, he picked up a new sheet of paper, clipped it to his board and wiped the wet paint brush on his apron, and started outlining the clear parchment with wide strokes. _

_While leaning on the banister, Sakura wondered about her first date with Sai and how it wasn't as common as going to a movie or eating out for dinner. He had taken her to the library where he prepared a couple of books with sweet poems in them for her to read. Then he had written a little passage, a key for her to find— almost like a treasure hunt, if you can call it that. Then he went off, saying he had forgotten to do something before he left his house and he'd be right back. Before she could tell him about the note, he had already left and she was stuck deciding if she should stay foot or continue on with the hunt. Intrigued by the little game, she continued to find out other pieces of hints lying around the town, the small rural side she called her home. She crossed over the small bridge that led down a path towards the forest. In the woods, two trees were bent into a heart shaped— as it was built that way, Sakura found it romantically awed. She walked onwards and finally walked into a clearing where a small stream rode down the forest, small rocks and boulders laying around, and lively trees swaying to the soft wind. _

_Sakura had found it interesting and thought of the book she had read before about a character that ran away from a facility in which he was captured by scientists and escaped towards the forest where he met a young girl whom was looking for her dog. Sakura swallowed. She sat down on a stone and looked off; no more hints were scrawled about. She sighed; almost disappointed except the fact that Sai was sitting on a minimum tree branch, his legs dangling off it and with a picnic basket in his lap. _

"_Did you wait long?" He had asked._

_She shook her head and smiled up at him, "Nope, just got here actually. So, did you wait long?"_

_He smirked. Not answering, waved her over to where he was at. She did and found a wooden ladder in which showed how he got up on the tree. _

"_Don't worry; the tree branch is wide enough for us to sit on." He grinned, his eyes twinkling with pride as she reached the top, "And for us to have a small dinner take out!"_

"_Just like in the books!" She laughed, her grin reaching both her ears. _

"_Barely," He chuckled, "Only in your books."_

_She scooted towards him and they had their way of a so-called date. _

_Sakura closed her eyes and sniffed in the fresh air, the small wind pushing its way past Sakura's shoulder, her hair brushed back and towards Sai's paintings, swapping at the loose papers. Sai didn't mind though, he was too focused on drawing Sakura. With a few swipes here and there, he was almost, clearly finished with Sakura's portrait. _

Done.

_Sakura closed her eyes, shivering so slightly as the breeze past her. "Can I turn around now?"_

_He nodded but then realized that he couldn't see his approval and hummed in agreement. She opened her eyes slowly, blinked a couple of times and turned around to face him. She gave him a sweet smile and started her way towards him. Parting his lips, he breathed in the sight before him. She looked even more like _her_… but maybe more in the picture than in real life… _

_Her eyes locked onto the image. Her heart fluttered and she could feel her stomach tightening. A little blush crept to her cheeks as she stared at the said portrait of herself. Even though it looked exactly like her, Sakura felt that something aside from her face and body was all in the picture, but something other. Something she couldn't quite put off. _

Snapping out from her reverie, Sakura bumped into Sasuke's back, making his broad shoulders grow tense. He looked back at her suddenly, his eyes softening in recognition and concern. Sakura blushed and muttered a sorry before turning her attention in front of Sasuke. Her eyes almost bugged out, seeing she was in front of two large buildings, a little corridor connecting in between the two shops.

Seeing her mouth fall open, Sasuke leaned in and gently snapped it shut using his hand. "You really are a fly catcher, aren't you?"

She ignored him and trudged to the center, deciding which store to go into. The store on the left was labeled 'Tick Tock Over' and the store on the right was called 'Holler'. Mm, she thought, which to choose? There were no glass cases or perhaps, any windows showing the displays for people to sight-see or know what to buy. She hesitated going either direction and glanced back at Sasuke whom seemed to stare past her.

His eyes were too familiar with the store's logo or titled. He knew what clothes were inside the store, mostly girlie stuff than men, but there were some things in which he bought from both stores. He felt her eyes on him and turned his attention to her, their eyes meeting. Her jade eyes seemed to bore into his dark, coal eyes and he wondered how in the world did an emerald-eye girl have natural pink hair? Although, he particularly didn't care about looks even though his features seemed obviously handsome to most people, especially girls— he hoped by chance, that Sakura didn't fall for him just for his looks… if she ever did fall for him.

She licked her lips and turned to go into Tick Tock Over, walking to the store's entrance, gripping the door handle and pulling it open. The door made a whoosh sound and a little beep rang through the store, mostly likely a security ring that someone has entered the shop. There were no bells on the door signaling someone has entered and no greeting from across the room either, like Sakura was used to back at home. She stepped in, letting go of the door behind her. She looked around. The store was a bit gloomy— in its way, next to her were a counter top and a small refrigerator filled with beverages waiting to be bought, a coat rack with an extendable arm for an umbrella holder. On her left side, there were clothes hanging around circular standup racks, all sorts, colors and trends.

She stepped further in, walking towards the middle section of the shop. Her eyes blinked in the dimness and looked both ways, almost like she was searching for something in specific… like an employee, maybe. Behind her a ding rang through the room and she turned around, surprised to see Sasuke in the store. He nodded at her and walked towards the left, disappearing around a rack of clothes.

Sakura was about to follow when her eyes caught a flash of maroon-pink colored rosette top with a yellow tank top connected underneath. A mannequin displayed it on its body, the arms still reaches to its sides, its legs pinned to the ground. Sakura walked over, her interests perked as she went in search for her size.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had gone over to his part of the room. The men's section. It was only a little part of the room that displayed half of the products from upstairs; mostly all the women's clothes were downstairs while half the room was split for both genders upstairs. Sasuke reached forward across the counter and took two support bracelets on cancer and hearts. He slipped his hand through them and looked at them to see if that would suit his features or not. He took them off and placed them back and then went on searching for other things he could maybe be interested in buying.

He walked over to the magazine area and grabbed a sport mag, opening it to see that a professor who secretly was a millionaire had lost a money bet towards a team that had lost in the basketball tournament. Sasuke shook his head and thought that he'd never do that. Sasuke flipped the pages and turned to the last page, finding nothing that perked his curiosity. He replaced the mag in his hands with Worldly Intelligence and Concerns. In it, a small article on the side of the pages had caught his attention and he turned to the first page, reading the title of 'Genetics, Believe it or not!' He read on about historical genes of peoples including albinos and even people with natural colored hair, unlike the normal color hair of black, blonde, red and brown.

His eyes traveled from the words on the pages towards the pink bobbled hair from across the room, gathering as much cute clothes as she can and was search of a dress room. Sasuke's eyes followed after as she continued to go to the way back and disappeared around the corner. His eyes trained back to the page he was on and kept reading.

After turning the corner, Sakura finally caught sight of a few stalls with the sign over head 'Dressing Rooms'. She grabbed for the nearest door and went in, locking the door from behind. She then began undressing herself and grabbed for the first item she picked out. She put the shirt over her head and picked a cute jean skirt from her selection pile. She then modeled in front of the mirror that was screwed to the door. She did this a couple more tries with different outfits and had decided on which clothes she wanted and the ones disapproving were in another pile. She placed the unwanted clothes in a corner rack before heading out with the wanted items in her arms and looked over head, seeking for a raven hair head, browsing amongst the books section.

She crossed over, taking her time while browsing her way over, looking at other clothes that seemed to belong to men. Before she neared Sasuke, she stopped in front of a price screen posting 'SALE!' but then a reminder flashed in her mind and she audited a 'dang flamit!'

Sasuke turned towards her, tossing the mag back onto the rack. He raised a brow, curious on why her voice rose. He saw the two pair of clothes in her arms and looked up at her. She didn't take no notice of his expression before turning away to return the clothes and promising herself she'll be back to buy those outfits once she retrieves her wallet. He caught up and took her arm, stopping her midway. She looked up at him, awkwardness building up around her.

"I see you forgot your purse," He said, making her inside melt in shame, "I'll pay."

She stared at him wide eyed, she can feel her cheeks flaming but she laughed it off and told him to never mind the clothes but he didn't budge. Instead of taking her suggestion lightly, he grabbed the clothes from her arms and walked to the back where the cash register was and the employee listening to his music, paying no mind to customers roaming around.

Sakura quirked a brow in wonderment, on how she didn't know there were customers in the store also, browsing quietly like Sasuke had been doing unlike Sakura and her awe towards clothes. Sasuke placed the said items on the counter and pulled out his wallet. The employer lazily dragged the clothes price tags over the scanner and checked them off as purchased, dumping them into a bag and handing it to Sasuke in exchange for the payment.

Sakura stood there fidgety, slightly embarrassed that Sasuke had to pay for girl clothes, her clothes…as if she was some homeless hobo. By the time they were heading out the door, Sakura had turned away, covering her face with her hands and steadying her breathing. Sasuke walked up to her and handed over the bag of clothes.

"Now," He spoke again, shooting her a smirk, "you owe me."

_Again!_ Sakura shot him a glare but this time her face showed less discrepancy and likely a hint of giving in. She mumbled, trying to subjugate a new conversation, "Where to now?"

"Tonight… we dance." He smirked, his eyes giving a glare of delight. Sakura swallowed.

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_Exotically, _She thought.

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(A/N: Sorry, if this chapter is too short; I have a lot of things to do this week. I got a deadline to read two books in a week for a tournament (frankly, I'm a fast reader and if it's on a kindle, I'm sure I can surpass those books in two or three days top!) and I have tests to study for. So, the more reviews I have the more chapters I'll make to perk those interests of yours and of course, spread the word to your friends! Happy Face!)


	7. Chapter 7

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

A/N: Hey guys! Hope you all enjoyed Mysterious Found previous chapters and of course, the Acknowledgment List too! This story has been a bit hit even though I only have a few reviews but still, you get what I mean… Oh! I should let all of you know that I got acknowledged too! I got myself on the honor roll in the newspaper (with other student's names as well)! But… enough about me; I haven't been slacking off, I have tests this week and so I'm trying to prepare and take them before Spring Break! Anyway, enjoy the story!

It was dark out. The sun had already gone down an hour before, leaving Sakura running beside Sasuke to catch up with Kiba's cab. Sakura was thinking hard of ways in how she'd kill Kiba if he didn't slow down or at least stop for them to hitch a ride. As if reading her mind, Kiba's cab jerked to a stop and swerved to the curb. Sasuke was now pacing and jogged over to the passenger's side and knocked on the window. For a moment, Sakura thought that they made a mistake and _thought_ that it wasn't Kiba's car but Kiba was the only person she knew— at that time— whom drove a black cab. Sakura walked around the car and towards the driver's door.

Kiba automatically rolled down his window a couple inches down and glared out, only a hint of light flickering across the street, revealing Sakura's glare on his own. "Oh, it's you."

Sakura didn't bat an eye but heaved a pant that was urging her from tearing his door open and beating the crap out of him and that the hospital will be his second home. She gritted her teeth. Sasuke saw the chance to jump in before there was any real drama.

"Hey," Sasuke greeted, "Can you give us a ride or no?"

"I can give **you **ride," Kiba rolled down the passenger's window and shook his head at Sakura, "but _not_ her!"

Sasuke peered through both windows and to Sakura who remained silent and glaring at the wheel. "I think…" Sasuke began.

"I'm sorry." Sakura blurted out, "I didn't mean to get on your bad side."

Kiba didn't look surprised at all; he looked as if his wish really did come true. "Well then…"

Sasuke breathed out a shaky breath and opened the door to the back seat and got in. Sakura didn't move. She looked at Kiba for approval. He shrugs and unwinds both windows up. Sasuke reached over and opened the side of where Sakura stood. Sakura paused before reaching for the door and sliding in.

"Where to?" Kiba asked once Sakura was in the car and buckled securely.

Sasuke tightened the belt and leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, "Usual place."

Kiba reached for the sun visor, lifted it and grabbed a box which held his black shades in and took it out and flicked it on. He revved the car to life and muttered a "cool" before driving off in the night.

Lots of lights flickered through the night. Sakura's vision was hazy as strewn of fluorescent lights zoned in and out, making her memorized by how dreamlike it all felt. They reared a corner and continued on down the street. Sakura eye's flickered with excitement and unwind her window to feel the rush of air gush in and the now audited voices of people walking past.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was watching as the cars zipped by and a few students laughing as they became smaller and smaller as they drove on. Sasuke turned his attention to the front and whirled his head towards Sakura's window, seeing her hair match the hue color of flashing lights. She looked to him as she was a part of a dream, where the lights would fade in and out and she would be his light.

Sasuke swallowed as she turned her head, and their eyes met. Her emerald eyes softened at his coal eyes. Her smile had not gone unnoticed; his heart fluttered in a sense of admiration. The sight of Sakura sitting there, her hair flying past her shoulders, a few strands of locks whipping her cheeks slightly revealed her soft toned pale skin— plain beauty. She was indeed beautiful.

In Sakura eyes, Sasuke was stunning in his white polar T-shirt and a dark blue checkered shirt to go over it, his black jeans hidden in the dark of the cab but Sakura knew he looked good, overall. His jet black hair was slicked back as a rush of wind blew past her face— her hair slapping her cheeks, and onto Sasuke. He is plain gorgeous! Her mind blinked at the sudden thought. Her cheeks flared, Sakura hoped the lights would haze the color of her face so Sasuke wouldn't think otherwise.

The cab jerked and Sakura jolted to the side, crashing into Sasuke who had a hand on the passenger's head rest, keeping him from hitting it and backslapped his own head rest. Sakura's face grew color and the first thought that came to her mind was that she was in Sasuke's arms and how lucky she was to be with him, in that dumb car, alone (well technically). She shot a glare at Kiba's smirk that shown in the sun visor.

She sat up, brushing the invisible dust off her clothes and looked about. Sasuke, straightened up, nodding thanks to Kiba and opened the door and got out, extending a hand to Sakura who was still inside, looking out the window.

"I don't have all day!" Kiba blared the horn, snapping Sakura from her oblivious trance and earning him a glare. She reached for Sasuke's hand and got out, slamming the door behind her.

Kiba made the car sound as if it was a race car— probably was, Sakura thought, until he changed it to fit his job, as Kiba sped down the street and around the corner, out of sight.

Sakura looked up, a big sign flashed "Stiletto Cool" and on the sign, a wired girl, one of her legs lifted up so that the legs looked like a four and her arms were over her head as if she was stretching. Sakura blinked back her confusedness but felt a reassuring pat on her back as Sasuke began to lead Sakura to the entrance.

There were two men standing at the door, their arms crossed and they were wearing tinted shades. On the right, a man in a black suit, a gold chain 'BLING' spelled across sat on his chest and he had a couple of rings on his right hand. On the left, the other man was dressed in a purple suit, also wearing a couple of rings on his right hand and he had pink highlights in his hair.

"Name?" The black suit man asked.

Sasuke stared at them and shook his head, "Uchiha, friend of a friend."

The purple suit man seemed to be rooted to the ground and then stepped aside, letting both Sasuke and Sakura walk in. Sakura walked closely to Sasuke, hoping not to get lost or pulled aside from some creep or maybe some player who wants to 'get-to-know-her'.

As they walked in, Sakura noticed two hall ways including the hallway they were walking down in. Sasuke seemed to know the way— Sakura rolled her eyes, of course he does, he did say _usual_ before and he probably spends his time getting wasted here… They continued down the corridor, passing a few doors with name plates tacked to the door. When they got to the end of the hallway, there stood four doors, each door had a slide peephole and Sasuke strolled over to the far right and knocked a couple of beats on the door. Suddenly, the peephole slid open and two pair of piercing blue eyes made Sakura jump.

"Name?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and kicked the door, as it made a big bang sound echoing off the walls in the silent hall. Stifled music was heard in the background behind the bouncer whom seemed to understand Sasuke's frustrations and opened the door.

The sounds of music wavered through, getting louder and louder as if someone just pushed the on button on the radio and a racket of drums started hammering. _Another club,_ Sakura thought.

"A variety club actually," The blue eyed man seemed to read Sakura's mind and flashed a big grin, "Enjoy! My name is Naruto Uzamaki."

Sakura glanced at him quickly, head to toe. He had bizarre blond locks that spiked out like a rocker; he wore black bands on his wrist, a 'bling' ring on two of his fingers on his right hand. His clothes looked casual, black jeans and a black shirt with a white image of a tuxedo printed on it.

"Naruto is my childhood friend, almost like a brother." Sasuke introduced, waving a hand at Naruto.

"_Almost?_" Naruto choked on his spit and bit back a bark, "Almost like in forever!"

"Despite having a big mouth, don't believe a word he says." Sasuke went on, "He's a cheat and a liar."

Naruto shot him a look of disbelief, "Oh," he cried out dramatically, slapping a hand on his chest and looking away, "I'm hurt, Sasuke. How could you think of me like that?"

Sakura cracked a smile and softly giggled, "At least he thinks of you."

Naruto glanced at Sakura, then back at Sasuke, "Well he doesn't seem to show it these days."

"You just have to give him some time…" Sakura nodded over at Sasuke whom seemed to stare past them. Sakura followed his gaze, a flash of black and red emerged from the crowd and materialized back into a different pack. A hint of familiarity hit Sakura full force that she forgot where she was at that moment. _Sai?_

(Line Interceding)

"So about our deal," Sai snickered, his eyes glowing with lust that made Karina turn her head away disappointment, muttering nonsense under her breath. "You have to do something erotic for me."

Karina rolled her eyes and looked up at Sai's coal eyes, his hair was slicked back in sweat— after all, they've been dancing for an hour or so. Karina had no other choice but to win for her and her manager leading to Sai's victory if he won the deal. It was definitely killing two birds with one stone. How rare, Karina thought, spinning away and back around, into Sai's outstretched arms.

Karina wrapped her arms around his waist and reached up to his back, clawing his shirt. Sai winced. "Not too sharp, are they?" She grinned, like a Cheshire cat, her face glowing almost in satisfaction.

He pulled her closer, tighter and even clapped a hand on her right cheek. She gasped, her cheeks flaming in embarrassment but then again, who'd be looking, and who'd care? There were plenty of make out spots, wasted groups, even perverts lurking in the shadows. But, who would go right up to them, as if recognizing one of them and calling out their names? Ha, fat chance, Karina thought.

"Sai?" A feminine voice reached Karina's ears. She stopped dancing, and took a step back from Sai, glancing at the said girl before them. Sai seemed to be taken aback and so was Karina.

Karina eyed the girl from head to toe, especially head. Her pink locks cradled her oval face, she had amazing dark jade eyes that seemed to reach for your soul and give it a little squeeze. She didn't know she was holding her breath until she exhaled slowly; her eyes traveled from her face and down to her clothes. She was wearing a bright sun dress— not made for a club like this one, especially not for dancing. Who is this girl? Karina thought. Her expression turned to bewilderment as Sai took a step away from Karina, letting her arms fall to her side.

"I thought I saw you here..." She spoke, her lips pursed as if she had got a question correct, "Where were you yesterday?"

Sai didn't answer back right away, he took a moment and maybe even more than a minute before breathing out a huge breath and brushing his hand in his hair, "I had important business to attend to."

"Oh." The pink hair chick looked down at the ground then back at him, not turning to say hi or anything. Not like I care, Karina thought rudely.

"W-what are you doing here," Karina could hear his voice shake and not disguising his stutters, Karina gritted her teeth at the girl, how could she be making her boyfriend so uncomfortable when it was her who is supposed to make him feel! "Sakura?"

"I'm!" Sakura began, looking back from where she approached but turned back to them in fluster, "I'm with a friend. What are you doing here?"

Karina couldn't stand all the unknowing questions of the mysterious girl with freaky pink hair in front of her. She couldn't stand her making _her_ boyfriend the way he is now that he couldn't be around her. She couldn't stand Sakura at all. The moment Sakura came into view, awestruck both of them and even opened her mouth, she knew at that moment, she disliked, no— hated Sakura for even coming between them. For coming at all.

Who did she think she is, strolling right in as if she could cut off their night and swift him off his feet and into her clutch, as if she controlled him— owned him! Karina thought, glaring daggers at Sakura even though her face didn't show any emotion. That was like Karina, she couldn't withhold emotion when it comes to jealousy. _Jealousy, _an inner, most, deeper conscious of Karina's mind whispered, _nothing more and nothing less._

Karina huffed and nudged Sai's side with her elbow, and replied with a fake innocent, confused smile, "Don't be rude, Sai, _honey_…"

Sai averted his eyes at Karina and blinked as if he just now noticed that Karina was there all along and he was stuck in time, wondering what had happened. Sakura follow heed and focused her attention to Karina whom was looking at Sai with daring eyes and then slowly turned to Sakura. Her big brown eyes were deep and hallow, as if there was no sparkle to make them bright and filled with hope. Instead, Sakura examined Karina's appearance— she had flaming red hair that hugged her mid-back, small curls wrapped around the edge, she wore a black silky sparkly dress— that flickered lights off from the flashing luminosity on the ceiling— a slit on the sides, making it easier to walk in (probably) or even sit. She also wore black stilettos with straps wrapping around her ankle. Sakura's eyes flickered back to Karina's face as she also gave her a fake smile.

"I'm sorry," Sakura began, "I'm Sakura, Sai's **recent **_girlfriend_… and you are?"

If Karina looked at all of shocked and betrayed, she didn't show it. Neither did Sakura when Karina told her she was Sai's **current **_girlfriend. _They both turned to Sai whom stared at the floor as if it interested him too much to even look at the said girls before him. He knew he was in a big deal of a huge drama that was erupting in front of him.

"Since when were you going to mention this to me, hm?" Karina steadied her focus on Sai, whom inwardly squirmed from where he stood. He could feel both eyes from the girls, digging at his skin with their piercing gaze, maybe even glare.

"Apparently he thought he could get away with two women instead of just one." Sakura muttered, glaring deep holes into Sai's head.

Sai looked up, almost regretting it but even with having no face expression, he hid it well with a shrug, "No, you're wrong."

"Am I?" They both answered in unison, not caring if they didn't like each other— they both were put on the spot.

They were now surrounded by more bodies, being compressed against each other, in a tight little triangle. Sai counterfeited in looking elsewhere for there was no where except heads bobbing and bodies moving to and fro despite having glares darting him every chance they got.

"I want an explanation!" Karina stomped her heel on the floorboard, and crossed her arms over her chest which made, to Sai's liking, a bit of her cleavage show. Sakura imitated, planting a hand on one hip instead and giving him a raise of her brow.

"Fine!" Sai snapped, turning to Sakura, "We're over, and you know it!"

Sakura's lips parted in surprise as Sai continued his rant, "We've been over since awhile back; I don't know why you keep persisting when it's obvious we were never meant to be."

Sakura didn't say anything, she was too speechless to even move or look away. Karina started to feel her ears pop, a little sting as she looked from Sakura to Sai and back. Sai glared at the floor.

"What do you want me to say?" He asked frustrated, he went on, his voice rising and falling every time he spoke, "I'm sorry it had to be this way. You think I haven't thought of telling you? Well you're wrong, I have! It's hard and I don't like the way you've been treating me."

Sakura stood there dumbfounded. Was he like this all along? Did he really think that about her? She thought. She couldn't move. It felt like time had froze and the only people standing was her and the fading image of Sai— his words reeling in her mind, full volume, digging deeper against her skin. Suddenly she felt something inside her knock over, a piece of something breaking off, and she felt herself crumbling to the floor as if she was being cremated into ash. Fly away ashes, fly away to no where.

"Treating _you_!" Her voice was below a whisper, "You have no idea what you're saying? How, Sai, did _I_ treat _you_?"

It was almost like a stab to the heart, her words were cold as ice, almost clear as monotone. Sai flinched, his eyes searching her own which were now a deep, dark olive color— almost rotten-looking and death had reappeared from behind her pupils. Her skin tone had drained to a pale hue and just by looking at her made his stomach flip, as if he was seeing a corpse in front of him, a live corpse raised from the dead.

"You're a pest!" He popped the last word, looking past her at the bobbing heads and swinging bodies. He didn't dare look straight into her eyes for he thought he may be sick, "You bother me with your whines, your suspicions, your calls. Oh my god, _your calls_! You're so annoying! Has anyone ever confronted you like I did?"

Karina had the nerve to narrow her eyes at Sai before turning her attention at Sakura, giving her an impatient look. Observing, Sakura pressed her lips tightly in a thin, grim line. She could practically see her grinding her teeth together, and her chest was heaving with anger. Her face was spoken as well, almost a book left untold but you could probably skip the plot and already know the end.

Once Sakura opened her mouth, the words flew, shooting straight at Sai full force; he didn't have time to dodge. "Confront? Oh, like ditching me at our date wasn't good enough for you after you left me in the park, alone and to top it all, _in the rain!_" At that point, her words were seething from her lips and her eyes held a bright flare of lightning. "Who in their right minds would go out with a liar and maybe, perhaps a cheater, too!"

Sai couldn't stand it anymore, couldn't stand Sakura telling him off as if it was his_ entire_ fault! He couldn't stand being embarrassed for all the wrongdoings that she had committed right in front of Karina! How could she! Sai stepped towards Sakura, leaning in with a sneer and glowered at Sakura, breathing heavily with frustration. "It's best if you leave _us_ alone now, or else I'll—" but he was cut off by a voice and a hand on his shoulder, pulling him away from Sakura.

"Excuse me sir, if you must yell please do it outside! This isn't a shout out unless you're giving a big whoop for the DJ…" The voice interrupted Sai's loud retort, "If you please?"

"Who are you?" Sai growled, shrugging off the man's hold on his shoulder. He skimmed the said man's profile. He was about the same height as Sai and his hair was bright yellow, spiked out everywhere. Sai narrowed his eyes; he can visibly see small scars on the said man's face. Probably got himself in a cat fight, He thought, snickering inwardly.

"Naruto!" Sakura gasped, truly surprised giving him a tilt of her head in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Managing my place… and it seems to go well except this bad aura that has been disturbing the peace… and _fun_." He eyed Sai, giving him a raise of his brow and also turning to the visible red head that stood across from them. She was putting her weight on one foot, swinging softly to the beat, with her arms across her chest and gave him a raised brow as well.

"_Your_ place?" Both Sakura and Sai asked at the same time, with different tones to go with it.

"Yes, well, I don't want to be boastful," He grinned shaking his head and turning serious again, "Anyway, sir, if you need to take a breather, please take it outside!"

Sai straightened up, taking a side step from them and touched Karina's shoulder. Karina rolled her eyes, giving him a mocking grin, "_I_ came here to dance! Who knows what'll you do once I'm not by your side? Maybe you want to two time me too!"

Sai's mouth twitched, annoyed, his teeth clenched all the same. "Weren't you the one who wanted to spend time with me?"

"I did." She started to swing her hips to the fast beats, "At the game… but you were too occupied to see me giving you thumbs up on every win!"

Sai licked his lips quite rashly, searching quickly for an answer, but he hadn't had any to offer. He groaned aloud in frustration and swiftly but quietly turns on his heel and stalked away, "_Fine!_"

"What a baby!" Karina finally said, rolling her eyes.

(Line Interceding)

He stalked off towards the entrance where he came from, but not wanting to make short conversations with the bouncers, he turned a left and trailed his way to the back exit, leading down to the narrow alleyway.

When he got to the door, he stepped out feeling the cold breeze that drift through the thin brick walls. He suddenly felt a shiver which was unusual. He turned and met two pair of cold, dark coal eyes staring back at his. He jumped but remained calm although his heart was pacing faster. He raised an eye brow and then it struck him. He had taken the time to glimpse at the man in front of him, the man from before, crouched at the level at the girl on the bridge— _Sakura?_ The same wild hair, now slicked back, the same tone skin that made you wonder if he ever at least had a tan, and the same arc of his back from where he had knelt— now slouching against the wall, watching him with curious eyes. Sai scowled and shrugged his way past the said man.

"That's not nice."

Sai stopped mid step, hesitating before glancing back at the figure leaving on the wall. Did he say something? Sai wasn't sure. Did he just say what he thought he just said? Was this guy serious, talking "nice" to him? Please, Sai thought, don't give me this bull.

Sai turned back around and sauntered out of the alley, his shadow following heed under the moonlight.

(Line Interceding)

A/N: Hey guys, hope you enjoyed reading Mysterious Found! I've enjoyed it quite myself, haha. Sorry, I've uploaded it too slow for you but I have a reason why. I've been busy with tests (taking tests before Spring Break) which I have 2.5 days left! So, while I'm gone on my trip with my family, I'll continue writing down my ideas and forming them into a new chapter. Thank you for the reviews, and Mathamatica-chan— personally, I can't take any ideas from my viewers or else my story will have their credits in it instead of mine. I hope you understand that I'm not trying to disappoint you but I have my own ideas that I'd like to put a twist to in this story and hopefully, if this story gets more reviews, I'll take consideration for suggestions, but that's for another time.


	8. Chapter 8

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

A/N: Hey guys, it's me again! Sorry, I haven't updated sooner after Spring Break! I've been super busy with notes, review guides, projects, and sleep… Ohhhh, procrastination can't be compared to senioritis… or possibly. Anyway, I got one more month left of school until I graduate and I expect to be finished with Mysterious Found by then… hopefully! So, you know my cue, I expect you to RxR! Thanks!

(Line Interceding)

_I trade my soul for a wish_

_Pennies and dimes for a kiss_

_I wasn't looking for this_

_But now you're in my way_

Sakura blew out a big sigh before brushing a hand through her hair. Naruto, whom was watching with careful eyes, remained still and observed his area before turning towards the two girls.

"Sorry about your date." He yelled and nodded at Karina whom shrugged in response as if she heard him but didn't and kept swinging her hips. Sakura turned away, now realizing what was missing at the moment. _Sasuke._ She couldn't spot him anywhere in the room, where did he go? She wondered. She turned back around and caught Naruto gazing at her with a concern in his eyes.

"Thanks Naruto." Sakura mouthed over the loud music, giving him a cheeky smile, her eyes twinkling in return. Naruto's lips formed a grin as he gave her a nod in comprehension.

Sakura whipped her head at Karina but her presence was absent and she was no longer dancing around them. She had instantly vanished from their sight without them noticing. Sakura blinked in puzzlement and then turned once again back to Naruto who was now patrolling the walkway, making sure other people weren't making any trouble.

Sakura stood there, in the middle of the dance floor with no partner— no one in whom she knew or acquainted with. She was lost. Sakura inched forward but was pushed back from the sea of bodies. Sakura bit her lip and scrunched her eye brows in worry and started to step on her tip toes to see an escape but failed miserably from her height.

Out of the blue, a hand shot out and tapped her shoulder. Sakura immediately spun around, her eye brows raised in surprise but soon returned to its formal stage of bewilderment. There stood Sasuke, hands in his pockets like he had just come back from taking a stroll outside.

"Where were you?" Sakura sputtered, throwing her arms in the air out of dramatic effect. Sasuke raised a brow and gave her a confused look before putting a hand to his ear and turning his head to the side to hear Sakura yell over the noise once more.

_And all the other boys_

_Try to chase me_

_But here's my number_

_So call me maybe_

Sakura's eyes flashed towards the ceiling at the now storming lights that flickered everywhere almost akin to a disco ball and twirled her attention to the DJ whom was making his own moves on his music box. Sakura couldn't help but smile at his motions; they did bring a small amusement to her eyes.

(Line Interceding)

She stood so beautifully underneath the purple and blue lights that was circling the dance floor as more bodies came into view, crushing them together. Sasuke stepped forward, making sure no one had the particular purpose to slap her butt or perhaps, bump into her. When it came to clubs and having a girl as his dance partner, Sasuke knew when to step up and protect, but it was just out of respect and nothing more.

Sasuke reached forward, wrapping his arm around Sakura's shoulder that in return turned around, her eyes filled with surprise as her lips parted. Sasuke leaned forward, his lips to her ear and yelled, not too loudly but not to softly either. "Do you want to dance?"

Sakura jerked her head out of range and shot a small glare at Sasuke before her face lightened up in excitement. Sasuke knew her answer of course but before they could dance, he wanted to make sure she was comfortable with what she was wearing. Although there was no difference in changing to something particularly stunning but by anyway of spinning around and skirts flying, there could have been more cleavage showing than her actual display.

"Are you going to change?" He yelled over the music towards her but it didn't seem that she heard him and started to dance anyway, shooting him a grin before closing her eyes to the music and moving her hands over her head.

_I missed you so bad_

_I missed you so bad_

_I missed you so, so bad_

Sasuke's eyes slowly closed as he began to feel light on his feet as if he was a feather instead of a bird or maybe less than a cloud. Sasuke slowly trailed behind Sakura, moving around people and following the now dancing girl before him whom was so absorbed into the music that she didn't even notice his smile.

(Line Interceding)

She twirled around people, rotating her hips back and forth and at the same time thought about the earlier incident with Sai and his girlfriend. Of course, Karina didn't know about the girl and since Sai knew her made her grow upset. But after hearing that he was supposed to meet her that night he came to her house instead made her feel shameful. Why didn't he tell her beforehand that he had a girlfriend already? He definitely made a fool out of her tonight.

Dancing to the far left of the club, she passed a couple of booths filled with empty seats and littered bottles left on the tables. She paused and slid into one of the booths and leaned aside the wall, blowing out a breath and staring at the bottles. Maybe she should order a glass and wipe her night away as if it never happened; her winning the game for her sake and her manager and maybe even for Sai's.

What was she thinking? Barging into her ex boyfriend's life again, she should have known he'd already have a girlfriend. She felt her nose tingle in confusion. She knew she was going to cry but why cry because of Sai? Sai was the best thing that happened to her. She had a great life back then but then the tennis scholarship program came up and this was an opportunity for her to progress towards her goal. She had to take this chance and so she did, leaving Sai broken-hearted. He must have understood why she did it!

A single tear plopped onto the table. She had missed him dearly from her travels and hoped for a letter or an email or maybe even one text to say that he missed her too. But she had endured the hallow mail that stayed empty from him for three whole years. All the thoughts ran through her mind that he didn't love her like she loved him, that he only used her to get popular because of her and dropped her even when she had left. She felt stupid for even thinking these thoughts, but what is a girl supposed to think when the guy she likes doesn't think or even say hi back, how are you, I missed you, I'll be waiting for you. Obviously not in her book.

(Line Interceding)

He went to the nearest wall after escaping most of the crowd that had surrounded him from the nearest exit. He had lost track from taking shifts off and hoped the other bouncers doesn't get mad at him for not remembering the time limit…again. He had leant against the bricked wall and rested his head against it, looking up at the dazzling lights that circled the ceiling.

Exhaling an exhausted sigh, Naruto had spotted a red head from earlier sitting by herself in one of the unoccupied booths and wondered about the episode with Sakura, her and probably her boyfriend. Naruto got used to cat fights since they happen to always start on his watch but probably this situation is different, he didn't know what and he didn't plan on finding out about someone else's business unless they told him regardless. He watched absentminded as she bowed her head forward and rummaged with something… her clothing or maybe something in her bag? Although he didn't see her carrying one, maybe she had had a hand bag but she hid it well while dancing. He didn't know, that's for sure. On the other hand, he had left Sakura unattended to fend for herself in this big club with lots of perverts and dealers. What was he thinking! But then again, he thought, Sasuke would be there, taking responsibility for her actions and keeping her safe from hands and if he could, eyes too.

Naruto remembered how Sasuke would always come to this club, sitting alone on a bar stool and watching people dance and a group in the booths laughing their hinds off and getting drunk. He knew Sasuke was never the type to drink carelessly and go off with one of the girls that sometimes spend the night or hook up with strangers during the night. He wasn't the type to go on stage and sing but after that one incident with his mom having a miscarriage, he started taking lessons on the violin because he said it was calling to him and that he started to sing softly to himself when he was feeling down. Even though Naruto is Sasuke's best friend and he knew more than he should, recently he felt he didn't know Sasuke at all.

Sasuke hadn't been coming the club lately or to hang out with him when Naruto asked him if he wanted to chill or answer his calls, texts, or emails. It's like he has isolated himself, Naruto thought to himself, his eyes traveling over the dance floor. Naruto's eyes dulled and rested on a certain couple dancing around a group of people and laughing while they did so. Naruto's lip curved up unknowingly and he watched as Sasuke took Sakura's hand and pulled her towards him and letting her spin back out. Sasuke was never too kind to someone he just met. He was courteous and polite but never too kind to let some stranger be apart of his life.

What had changed Sasuke that Naruto couldn't even notice it?

(Line Interceding)

Sai stormed out the alley, hoping to erase the night's events. He couldn't believe he went to the same club Sakura did and as she brought up the girlfriend thing. He really wanted to tell her the truth but couldn't she already have taken the hint that he was with another girl and despite all that, not think to say 'we're over'? Not now, Sakura, maybe even not ever. Thanks to her, Karina isn't dancing with him tonight, isn't taking part of the deal he made with her. Tonight won't be fun all because Sakura had ruined it for him.

_He ruined it for her._ The reason he took interest in Sakura from before was because she had resemblance Karina and he had taken note not to tell her that. He didn't want her to think he was dating her in replacement even though that's how it turned out to be for him for the time being. Until after getting know Sakura, there was one point where he started having feelings for the actual girl in front of him, how she didn't like cherries on top of her sundae instead half a strawberry hugging the sides of her ice cream, when she smiled he loved the way her dimples showed, or how when she shies away, she would always take a peek just to make sure its her that was the cause of it. Then it clicked, two whole years passed, a year not caring who she was and the next year getting to know her and becoming her boyfriend and after all that has happened between them, nothing good came out of it. After realizing his feelings for the said two girls, he started comparing them two and got the result that Sakura was just a replacement and nothing more (even though he feels bad for thinking this, at the time, that's what he had thought). He chose Karina over Sakura and he never thought to mention this even to Karina or his thoughts towards the two girls. He didn't want to deal with drama as he dealt with it thirty minutes ago.

Thinking about Karina, she must be dancing without him and who knows, maybe with another guy or a group of men. He knew Karina was a flirt, still is, that's how he started liking her and how he got to stay at her house the night he ditched the date with Sakura. He stomped towards the end of the street, away from the passing parties of laughter and smiles and different types of styles heading towards the bright lights. He was alone and he knew it, he could never have two girls in his life again— he knew he couldn't stand a chance with both of the girls being his one-sided boyfriend, not if they found out about each other and even if they did, would they have considered on knowing his side of the story.

He stepped off the curb and image of Karina popped into his mind; how could she leave him like that? She was his ride and what surprised him was when he reached into his pocket, he felt the secured shape of rigid metal, her car keys. Thinking fast, the conclusion to driving home tonight and not knowing if Karina will have a ride by taxi or having a one night stand would get her home, but all that had vanished when bright lights had blinded Sai as he stood in the middle of the street, pausing to hold his hands shading his eyes and suddenly hearing a loud horn go off as he felt his body fly meters away.

**Karina. **_**Sakura.**_Karina. Sakura. karina. sakura. Kkkkaarrinn— were the last thoughts winding in his mind as his eyes closed from the impact and his breathing had slowed to a stop.

(Line Interceding)

Tears sprung from her eyes but Karina had held them back, not wanting to show her weak side as a passerby hung limply on the booth's arm, then as she turned her face to the wall, her hand mindlessly reaching for the bottle, the person burped and limped away, quite drunk.

Karina had enough of dancing; she had made up her mind that she'd give Sai another chance to prove himself. He probably had a reason why he did all that that night. She just wanted to hear him say it. She wanted to see him. She wanted to hear his voice, to be with him, to be held in his arms. Remembering her last words after he left, w_hat a baby, _yeah, that's what he was when he was younger and she came to love him even when he grew into a young teenager and after coming back for so many years, she wanted to know more of his new profound life as a man. She wanted to grow old with him, to have grandchildren in the future, to when the time comes, be buried beside him; to never let him go. That's how she felt towards Sai.

(Meanwhile)

Sakura breathed rashly, as she took Sasuke's hand and led him towards the bar where people were nodding off, either drunk or overwhelmed by sleepiness. Sasuke grabbed a stool and pulled it out for Sakura to sit in and did the same for her. He leaned back into the chair as Sakura leant forward, resting her forehead on the cool counter, as she inhaled and exhaled. Weary, Sasuke order two glasses of water for both he and Sakura to cool down with when he noticed a girl in the booth, alone, teary-eyed and a familiar sense of recognition washed over him.

He watched as a drunken man rested aside the booth as she turned her face towards the wall and the man walking off, preoccupied. Sakura thanked the bar tender as Sasuke turned back to his companion and picked up her glass, placing it to her lips and swallowing the cool liquid. He did the same and took a sip. Placing the glass down, he nodded to the dance, his expression in question. She shook her head, and started fanning herself with her hand. She mouthed, 'too tired'. He nodded in comprehension.

After taking a breather, he and Sakura started talking about Kiba and how she left the bag of clothes he bought for her in the seat of Kiba's car and how she wanted to get them before he does something like selling them before she could wear them. Sasuke laughed, shaking his head at her childishness. Sakura pouted and they started on a different topic. Sasuke started mentioning about Naruto, how he knew him, when they started becoming friends and what not and how they came to be as they are now. Sakura did the same, not including some grand detail about her relationship with Sai but knowing Sasuke as how they met; he knew she left out the part of about Sai. He didn't mention how he came across Sai just before he left.

"I didn't know Naruto owned the club." Sakura started, her eyes blinking in memory. Sasuke gave her a confused look as she started to explain, "Yeah, he told me and Sai that this was his place and how he didn't want to be boastful about it."

"I think you misunderstood." Sasuke gave out a chuckled and shook his head, "Naruto doesn't own the club. I think he was talking about his position as a bouncer and how it was his place to make sure there isn't any trouble arousing."

"Really?" Sakura whined, "But he sounded like he owned the place, like he could've been the club's manager or something."

"Oh, well he has been talking about wanting to be promoted but then again, I think that's what he was trying to say, not wanting to sound boastful or anything." Sasuke shrugged and leaned on the counter, folding his hands as if he was going to pray.

"Well, he's doing a good job keeping the place running smoothly." Sakura smiled, looking around and spotted blond hair bobbing in and out and around the dancing crowd, fast pacing towards the booth. "Speaking of which, there's Naruto." She pointed.

Sasuke followed her finger and glanced at Naruto leaning towards the booth, tapping the girl's shoulder as she quickly brushed her face and turned her head facing Naruto, a lock of hair falling in front of face hiding her tear-stained face. It looked urgent, her face changed from regret to concern. She slid out from her seat, pushing Naruto out of the way and dashed out the back exit.

Wondering what was going on, Sasuke took off from his seat, with Sakura on his heels as they fast paced after Naruto as he too ran after the girl.

"Naruto!"

(Line Interceding)

It was like a hail storm outside, the invisible wind slapping Karina as she took off out the alley, around the corner and down the street. She didn't care what people thought of her as she ran, her face stained with mascara and how pale she looked. She stopped as she heard the ringing sirens as she closed in on the street where a crowd was forming. She had held her breath, hoping nothing had happened to Sai. But as she reared the end of the street, she saw the ambulance already parked, its doors open and the paramedics arranging the gurney out of its stand.

Karina stopped as she noticed yellow tape continuing being surrounded around the scene. A car's hood was dented and the impact had made smoke overheat, the front glass was a bit cracked and from the looks of it, if it was as the bouncer (what was his name again, Karina thought, Naruto?) Sai had gotten himself into a car accident, and the impact towards the car makes him the opposite of the scene. Karina turned her head to the street and coming her way were the paramedics. There, lying on the smooth gravel, blood pooled around the body of the man she dearly loved and had been waiting to be his one and only. There, time had stopped for Karina, standing there emotionless for a second or two, almost feeling as if she was staring down at his body for an eternity. She had almost run past him, not noticing his body was visible to everyone surrounding him.

Karina whizzed passed the parked cars on the curbs and knelt down, grabbing his shoulders and bringing his lifeless body towards her own. This time, Karina couldn't help but weep. She couldn't believe her eyes. He was supposed to be alive, waiting for her to come back, to be hers and only hers, to kiss her, to touch her, to do what she longed for him to do. But it won't happen! Karina cried aloud, tightly holding onto his body. She didn't let him go as one of the medics tried to pull them apart.

"No, no! Leave him with me!" She cried, hugging his body to hers, and burying her head into his shoulder blades, "Go away!"

"Ma'am, I'm authorized to take him to the hospital." One of the medics that stood behind her said, tapping the other medic and nodding his towards the gurney.

"You can't!" She cried aloud, shouting as she put her weight on top of Sai, "He's my boyfriend! You can't have him! No, Sai, don't leave me!"

"Ma'am, please step aside." The medic that who's first attempt to remove her from the body failed and had said.

New tears sprung, and slid down her redden complexion. She shook her head rashly and continued to hold Sai's body tightly against her chest. "I'm not leaving him!"

People on the sidelines were now gathering around, most of them walking stopped to watch as Karina wept like a baby holding tightly to a beloved she closely didn't want to let go of. Some of the elders had their hands to their mouths in sorrow, in concern as they watched the scene perform in front of them.

"No, I can't leave him!" She cried, tears streaming down her face, "I can't! Sai, don't leave me! You can't leave me!"

She looked down at his lifeless eyes. They didn't call for her. They stared at her own but they didn't seem to be looking in her eyes. They were hallowed and to go with it, his pale face was like a corpse found in the night, blood was stained from his mouth and one of his hands was stuck in his pocket.

Karina rushed her hands towards his occupied pocket, and picked his hand out and enclosed hers around his. Feeling the rough edges of the car keys she trusted him to hold for her, she envisioned what he went through. Maybe he wanted to drive home leaving her at the club? Maybe he'd wait for her in her car, sulking? Maybe he just realized he had her car key all along before he got hit? Maybe he'd still be alive if she'd didn't say those words she mostly regretted at the moment. She cried endlessly.

"Ma'am please, we need to bring him to the hospital." The medic once again announced, pulling her arm away.

She shook her head and the first medic shook his head, "It's no use, she won't let go of him. We'll have to bring her along."

"No, it'll only make it worst. He might still have a chance." The second medic said, staring at the body.

"The life has already gone out of his eyes. It's done, he's dead." The first reenacted, grabbing the white sheet from the gurney.

Overhearing the conversation going between the medics above her, Karina screamed and shouted for them to go away, "No, don't say that! You're not supposed to say that! He's not dead, he's not!"

"Okay that's enough," The second medic announced, standing up and turned to the crowd, "You! Come here and hold back the girl while I get the body."

Two arms gripped Karina's wrists and pulled her away, but having the strength of holding a tennis racket, Karina didn't budge her hold. Karina shook her head, tears flying off her face as she wailed into the shirt of her now dead boyfriend. This can't be happening, thoughts flew in Karina's mind, he's not dead, he's just merely sleeping with his eyes open and he's just holding his breath, maybe counting the seconds until this night is over— it just looks like he's not breathing. He's alive, he has to be! He can't leave me here! Not without him! _I'll die too. I'll die with you Sai! Please don't leave me! I __**love**__ you! _

Coughing down her tears, Karina's hold was torn from Sai's body as she was held down by another guy with jet black hair, his eyes emotionless told her it was useless to struggle against him, and she was not getting to Sai any other way. Karina beat against the guy's chest, hitting him as hard as she could manage, shouting foul words and screaming for Sai to come back.

Sai was strapped to the gurney, his hands flung inertly over the edge, showing the end of someone's life as they began to cover him with the white cloth, almost reaching his neck.

Karina couldn't bare to look at him but then she thought of how lonely and empty his eyes were when they were staring back at hers, she wanted to do one more thing before he was actually gone from her arms.

"WAIT!" She cried, pushing the guy off her and stood up, "Let me just… close his eyes… one last memory, please?"

The first medic began to say something but the second medic held up a hand, "If you have to, he's already gone, no chance in reliving him again. Take your time but not ours. We got a schedule to run and we don't need a helpless girl holding us up."

Karina felt the anger boil within her as she glared dangerously at the medic who spoke so unkindly to her. She brushed past him, making her way towards Sai. He lied there, passively, his eyes staring at the nightly sky. No stars, no moon, just lights. His last memory of getting turned down to. From me, she whispered. I hurt him. I might as well have killed him.

She reached over; her hands held above his eyes and slowly but carefully felt his eye lids and closed his eyes. No more take outs, no more laughing with each other, no more hugs, no more kisses, no more I-love-you's, no more movies together, no more cuddles, no more jokes, no more riding in cars and calling out whoo-hoo's to people on the street, no more pranks, no more words, voices, sounds and no more Sai. Fully closed, Karina leaned forward so slowly she had thought the medics would've pulled her away saying times up, but she stooped low and brushed her lips against his cold ones and stayed like that for a few seconds before lifting up and tears falling onto his face, running down his cheeks as if he was the one crying.

_At least we shared something tonight; my tears are yours, Sai._

(Line Interceding)

A/N: Hey guys, sorry to end this too soon but I have to study for my Chemistry. Next week, I have SOL's tests to do and projects to turn in. I had many reviewers asking me when I was going to upload more chapters. Soon. I actually didn't plan on Sai dying but now that I think about it, (sorry Sai fans) it's probably for the best.

P.S. – I've been thinking of suggestions for this story as of, earlier in the past chapters, a reviewer asked if I could put her suggestion to use in my story and I told her I'd think about it. Well, I've thought about it and I think it might be a good idea for more future chapters.

X

Please message me about an idea/ suggestion you'd like to see in Mysterious Found and I'll sort through it all and put it to use— but don't forget, I will add a twist to these ideas! Thanks again for reading, you know the cue! RxR! Oh, and don't forget to spread the story amongst friends of friends! Happy Face!


	9. Chapter 9

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

A/N: Hi, thanks for reviewing Mysterious Found Chapter 8! I'm sorry to all Sai fans (whom are also interested in reading SakuXSasu fanfics) that Sai died in the previous chapter but I really did have a block and couldn't decide if I wanted him to die or live… Anyway, if any of you who read my notes, don't forget to leave me some suggestions to be used in Mysterious Found. I like to hear what your ideas are and put them to use! Thanks again, please RxR! Happy face!

P.S. – To those who are dying for more SakuXSasu, do not worry; just keep reading more as the chapters come by… don't give up on this story!

(Line Interceding)

Sasuke sat there on the back of his heels, staring at the heart broken girl in front of him. He stood up, brushing his pants and turned his head, spotting Sakura with her hand to her mouth, her eyes widened in shock. He glanced back at the teary eye girl who was now watching the medics roll the gurney away towards the ambulance.

He started towards her, wanting to comfort her for her loss and after reaching her, he placed a hand on her shoulder. Gasping at the touch, she tore away as if his fingers was a burn to the skin. She buried her face in her hands, and continued to bawl.

"Sasuke," Sakura's voice irked his attention. He turned around as Sakura walked forward, her hands reaching for his. He grabbed hers in return as she spoke softly, "Let's give her some space. This…" She glanced at Karina, "is hard for the both of us."

From afar, sirens were heard and Sasuke noticed that the people whom were watching the accident started to back away, going on with their business. Sasuke felt a tug as Sakura began to take a step towards the curb. Sasuke turned back to face Karina, hoping to lend out a hand. But as he did, she was no where to be seen. Sasuke stood there quietly before heading off with Sakura leading him away from the scene.

Sasuke walked behind Sakura as she led him back to the club's alleyway where they first ran out of to catch up with Karina. She glimpsed at Sasuke, giving him a sad look before pulling him towards her.

"She really did love him." Sakura spoke as the earlier sirens came closer and closer. "I think… if I didn't stop to confront him, he wouldn't be in that state and— they'd still be together."

Sakura turned away, feeling her chest tightened. Sasuke looked up at her, his eyes softening. A moment went by before he made up his mind and lifted her chin with his hand, her eyes closed as tears sprung from the brims.

"I'm sorry for your loss." He breathed out, gushed a loose lock back from her forehead. Sasuke's eyes searched her face, hoping to find… what? He thought. Her eyes fluttered open, blinking away the tears, Sakura mentally smacked herself for crying in front of him.

She swallowed. "I'm sorry too."

Sasuke furrowed his brows, "What for? You didn't do anything."

She laughed, her voice cracking in betrayal. She coughed and shook her head, "No, I brought you into this."

"Look," He began as Sakura looked up at him, her eyes trembling from crying. He didn't want her to cry, he wanted her to smile even if it wasn't for him, and "It's not your fault. Sometimes we don't know when these things are going to happen. He was there at a bad time, bad place. So don't blame yourself."

"B-but," Sakura stuttered, "I got on his nerves so many times and tonight, I really made him go crazy. I ruined his night with his… girlfriend, ex-girlfriend, girl— whatever she is to him! Who knows what she's thinking? She's probably thinking the same thing as I am!"

Sasuke brought two hands on either side of Sakura's face and leaned in, pressing a small kiss on her forehead. "She's just confused right now. It happened all too fast for her liking."

Sakura stood there in her arms, wondering how she got into his arms, how his lips met her forehead and luckily he couldn't see a small blush forming on her cheeks. She wanted to giggle but she knew it wasn't the right time, and how awkwardly it would have been if she did.

"Have you ever lost someone?" The question startled Sakura as she exhaled a shaky breath and shook her head in response. Sasuke continued, his thumb rubbing circles on her back, "It's not a happy feeling, and these feelings won't go away that fast. Its like a scar, it takes time to heal but sometimes it might show and sometimes it might not."

Sakura wondered if Sasuke had lost someone in his life, someone closer than she was to him right now. Did he have a girl friend that he held in his embrace, made him kiss her like he did just then, share his say in the matter? She imagined herself as Karina, finding out that her loved one died from a fatal accident and instead of it being Sai, Sasuke's face was shown from behind the white covers. Sakura choked on a cry as she buried her head into Sasuke's chest, wrapping her arms around him, gripping his polar T-shirt, and feeling the hard muscle beneath his clothing. She didn't care at that point that she was blushing madly; she knew she couldn't live without that person beside her. Even as her imagination was running thoroughly, in reality she had come to realize that she had actually taken the risk to embrace the said man in her mind.

Sasuke didn't think anything of it as he too, pulled her closer into a tight embrace after hearing her mourn. He swallowed down the shameful blush that was creeping up his neck. This was not the time to be thinking of such things, he recalled. He had laid his chin on her head as he continued rubbing her back.

Relaxed as they could possibly be, Sakura let out a stressful sigh, and thought to herself guiltily, _this must be fate. If I wasn't ditched on our last date, I wouldn't have met Sasuke. If I didn't run out his house and see what he had to offer for shoes, I wouldn't have endure the embarrassment of hearing Sai's voice out 'Rapist'! If I just had taken my time shopping, we would have gotten to a certain point at the club and I wouldn't have spotted Sai dancing with another girl whom seemed to have a certain appearance as I do despite her revealing clothes. If any of that happened, Sai would be happy with his new girlfriend and I'd be content with who I have now. So gentle and caring… _Sakura snuggled her head in the crook of his neck and exhaled a breath, peeking to see his shoulder quiver as shivers ran down his neck. She smiled.

Cough.

A cough was heard behind them and then a familiar voice interrupted the two making them break apart from another. Sakura and Sasuke brushed themselves off before acknowledging the said person's attention.

"I'm sorry to break you two's love-y dove-y moment," Crayon stood there, arms cross with a smirk pasted on his face, "But I heard there was an accident and I came down to make sure it wasn't my lawyer or his little girlfriend."

Sakura's face flushed when he referred her to being Sasuke's 'girl friend' but after hearing Crayon say 'lawyer' brought her puzzlement and she turned to Sasuke. At the same time, Sasuke shot him a glare. Crayon pretended not to notice as he faked a gape, and placed a hand to his mouth, "Oh? Am I mistaken?"

"Lawyer?" Sakura asked, her eyes glancing from Sasuke to Crayon and then back to Sasuke. Her curiosity was certain, at least she found out that he wasn't some snob, rich kid.

"I'm afraid so." Sasuke muttered, as he too leaned back against the alley's wall. "Sakura and I… are merely—"

"He was comforting me." Sakura spoke up, looking away, "A close person I knew just got himself into an accident… recently."

Crayon's eyes darted from Sasuke to Sakura who spoke sadly and a realization clicked in his mind as he pieced two and two together, from the accident he just came from and now to what she had just said. "Well… I'm just glad you weren't hurt."

"Thank you." Sakura sputtered, meeting his eyes.

"Lets just face it, if you got hurt, Sasuke here wouldn't forgive himself." Crayon watched as Sasuke jerked off the wall, as his face turned from sadness for Sakura to an incredulous look. Sakura's bottom lip fell ajar, as she shot a disbelief glance towards Sasuke. Crayon erupted into a fit of giggles before it turned into a bunch of coughing and sputtering.

"Well then…" Sasuke began, his annoyance turning into a prime dime interest while grinning at Crayon, "if that happens— which I'll make sure won't happen, I'd know who to go to…"

Crayon lifted his hand and pretended to examine his nails, "I know a great place for me to take a long," and exaggerated 'long', "vacation."

"Being a lawyer, I can bring up old files." Sasuke took a step forward, reaching out and clapping his hand on Crayon's shoulder.

Crayon cringed, "You wouldn't!"

Sakura looked from the duo in front of her. She cracked a smile in amusement. "What'd you do that was so bad?"

"Oh plenty," Sasuke chuckled, giving Sakura a sideways glance, "But he's most concern with his name."

Sakura's eyes rolled to the top of the building, and focused her thoughts— questions piling and the unknowns waiting to be revealed. Her eyes traveled straight down to Crayon, "What's wrong with your name? " She pauses, "Well, no, there is something wrong with your name but it's not like you changed it to 'Crayon'… did you?"

Crayon and Sasuke looked over at Sakura then Sasuke snickered, "Maybe."

Crayon's face drained into a discolored hue, his eyes grew cloudy as if he was about to go unconscious but then he shot Sasuke a stern look mixed with bewilderment, "Please don't."

Crayon looked over at Sakura, taking a backward step, "It's embarrassing!"

Sasuke laughed, shaking his head, "It's not embarrassing… man, it's…"

Sakura scrunched her face, and whined, "What? What is it?"

"You don't need to know," Crayon turned, heading towards the club's back door. "I have business to attend to, excuse me."

Sasuke continued to laugh, "Leaving so soon, we we're just getting acquainted!"

Sasuke's face trembled after his laughter cease. Sakura glanced over to Sasuke; his face was red from lack of air. He looked at her pouty face, hoping to get some answers from him. He shrugged and pointed her to come near him. She did.

"It's not _that_ embarrassing, actually, it isn't at all. He's just exaggerating because that's what his mother always called him when he was a kid." Sasuke turned halfway towards Crayon as he reached the door and opened it, poking his head in and then out.

Taking a breath, Crayon sneered at Sasuke, "Don't you **dare** tell her! It's embarrassing and I don't want the whole world knowing!" Then he disappeared, leaving the door left ajar.

Sakura nudged Sasuke, encouraging him to go on. He winked and leaned in, his mouth brushing her cheek as he reached her ear and whispered huskily, "Theodore."

Sakura wasn't expecting much from the name. What was so wrong and embarrassing for Theodore than Crayon? Did he have bad memories with his first name? After all his birth mother did give him a name? Did he choose Crayon as to cover up his first name or did it come with the job? Sakura had so many questions she wanted to ask Sasuke, but then again, it'll have to wait.

She took a step back and squealed, "AWWWW, CRAYON— YOU HAVE SUCH A CUTE NAME!"

From inside, you could hear a huge accidental bang like someone tripping over a huge pile of junk and it crumbling down on top of that someone. Sasuke burst into a fit again, shaking his head in amusement.

"_I don't know why you had to change your name, it's SO adorable!"_ Sakura's voice continued, but was muted by how loud the voice of the bouncer was from inside.

"UCHIHA!" Crayon's voice came from within the building. Clearly he heard Sakura's squeal but he wasn't too happy about the fact that Sasuke had betrayed him to a girl.

Sakura giggled, making Sasuke take a peek at her before lowering his gaze down at his shoes, a smile still pasted across his face. The beats in his chest began to pound; the tightness was too overwhelming he had to remember to breathe. Sakura mistook his silence from laughing too hard to trying to gain breaths again. She walked over to him and patted his back, giving him a grin in return.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concern written across her face. Sasuke's facial expression was a daze, as his eyes softened and observed her oval chin, her rosy cheeks from her earlier exclamation, how she licked her lips to moisturize them— making them seem more inviting than a pucker, how in his mind, time seemed to stop and whenever she blinked he thought it was more of a flutter than a bat of an eye. Searching her face and after meeting eye to eye, he leaned in close, his eyes half closed.

He didn't seem to notice her eyes getting wider the closer he came to her face. She felt the nerve in her heart jump and she felt like pushing him away at the small contact and hiding her face behind her hair, but that wouldn't stop her heart from pounding. It was too fast, this feeling she had; it was just too fast for her liking. She swallowed, her breathing grew rapidly still.

He sucked in a breath. What was he doing! He thought. His mind reeled and he quickly turned his cheek, softly grazing hers and blew into her ear sending shivers down her spine.

(Line Interceding)

He stood on the sidelines, staring at the yellow tape that rounded the accident scene, staring at the victim's blood pooled on the cement. Traffic was held up, cars passing one by one around the tape, some rubber neckers' siding up, rolling down the windows and peering out to see if they missed much. Shaking his head, he felt the soft touch of drizzle.

Naruto had stayed the whole time, watching as the girl from earlier disappeared as the crowd started to move out when they all heard sirens coming closer. He was the only one who stayed put, looking about— to see who else stayed but none other than him was left. He didn't mind though. The thoughts came crashing through, his mind turning over and over as his curiosity got the better of him. The faces of the two girls and the young man in front of him appeared in his mind.

"What a night," He sighed, running a hand through his hair and twitched as a rain drop rolled down his arm. He turned swiftly and jogged away from the empty scene and rounded the corner to the club.

Running ahead, for a big guy like himself, he was so used to the training of being a body guard, past the alley way in which he caught a glimpse of pink hair and skidded to a stop. He back tracked a few paces back and peeked around the corner where he spotted Sasuke hovering over Sakura who looked startled by his actions.

For some ridiculous reason, he felt ashamed for watching but he had to do something… fast. He stepped out; feeling bold for a second and stupid but before he could run out, it was too late.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed, pulling away from Sasuke and brushed past him, giving Naruto a smile from ear to ear.

Sasuke turned away, bringing a hand to his forehead as he breathed a sigh out. Naruto couldn't tell if Sasuke looked relieved or disappointed and he felt slightly bad for interrupting their moment. Sakura skipped a few steps to Naruto, before grabbing his hand and pulling him into the alley with her. Naruto bit his tongue in concentration as he eyed Sasuke in acknowledgment. Sasuke turned around, returning a nod back.

Licking her lips, Sakura stood there in between the boys before her and looked around, looking almost relieved that Naruto had stopped by. By then, Naruto was feeling very uncomfortable and somewhat guilty. The awkward silence seceded with the soft beats and laughter from within the building, bringing all three heads to look away from each other.

Swallowing, Naruto broke the silence and spoke with sincerity in his tone, "I apologize for the inconvenience, Sakura chan, but I think my shift is about to start."

Sakura's facial expression instantly turned from startled to a pout. "What, so you have to go now?"

Naruto choked on his spit, nodding his head ferociously and backing away making a fit of coughs and waving off to Sasuke, "I'm sure Sasuke, here, will take you home safely. After all that happened tonight, I bet you're tired."

_Tonight._ Sakura's features immediately altered from being fine to being stupid for laughing after a death cause. She felt her stomach flip and she started to taste the acidic tang of vomit rising in her throat.

"Go home," Naruto demanded, turning his attention to Sasuke who also nodded absentminded and started walking to the edge of the alleyway, and only paused to wait for Sakura to catch up. "Sakura…?"

Sakura's head snapped from her reverie to Naruto's voice. He frowned at her saddened face and shook his head, "Sasuke's waiting for you."

She turned sideways to look at Sasuke then turned back to Naruto whom already disappeared behind the door that led to inside of the club. Swallowing, Sakura turned and continued to walk out of the alleyway, Sasuke in lead.

Standing behind the door, Naruto silently knocked the back of his head against the metal door and winced at the pain. How stupid of him! He thought, mentally slapping himself for thinking otherwise, she already likes Sasuke! Blowing out a huge sigh, he continued to run his fingers through his hair before setting off to meet the other bouncers.

(Line Interceding)

They were sitting in the back of Kiba's cab, unusually quiet which Kiba didn't question, instead he preferred the silence since it was nighttime and he was quite tired of driving for today. Keeping his eyes on the road, they made a few stop lights and are now driving through the city limits and into the country side, where Sakura lives.

He had thought after spotting Sasuke and Sakura walking down the opposite way from the club, and picking them up, Sasuke had ordered him to drive down to Sakura's hometown, no questions needed. Sakura voluntarily gave him the directions but it wasn't her exact home address.

Arriving down the opposite direction of Sakura's address, Kiba had stopped in front of a two story house. Lights were turned on behind the blinds of the down stairs. Sakura knew Sai's parents were home from their honey moon. She opened the door and stepped out but before she could stop the door from shutting close, she had heard Sasuke calling out 'Wait!'

Sakura was about to open the door again but Kiba waved his hand at her, automatically rolling down his window and bringing his hand from the back seat, lifting her bags of clothes out the window, with a card attached to the bag.

Sakura gratefully takes the bag and wave at Kiba before heading straight for Sai's front door. After ringing the door bell, soft taps made its way to the front, opening it in a wide arc. There stood, Sai's mother, her eyes were puffy and her lips dripped to a wail. Her husband stood behind her with a phone dangling from his grip, a hurt expression written across his face as he too sniffed, bringing his arms out and welcoming Sakura into their embrace.

"_Your son passed away. He had died from the instant impact of the car. The driver who rammed into your son, also died from the damage." The caller from the other end had said, "I'm sorry."_

(Setting Alters)

Later that night, Sakura had made it home safely, with no one she knew of following her home. She had entered her home, locking all doors and windows and went to her room to get a change of clothes before heading to her bathroom to take a bath.

After soaking away the night filled with dancing and party, Sakura dressed into her pajamas and crawled into bed, her lamp the only thing on in the room. Sai's accident had made the front news on TV, the radio and even the headlines online. She didn't want to know anymore of it, she was too tired to even cry.

Lying down between pillows, she turned and lifted the shopping bag and sorted through as a distraction. Taking out the items Sasuke had bought for her, she had almost skipped over the card attached to the bag.

_Call me if you need me, _

_ XXX-XXX-XXX_

_ - I'll be waiting, Sasuke_

She grabbed her phone from her side table that was busy charging and opened it up, the cover lightened at the touch as she programmed his number in and finding a text from Sai's father. It was an invite to Sai's funeral reception being held in two days.

Sakura understood that his parents couldn't get over the fact that their son had died the night they came back to greet him nonetheless coming back from their anniversary. Licking her lips, she dialed up Sasuke's number and waited as it rang. Once, twice, three times but no one answered. Sakura tried again but this time, it went straight to his voice mail.

Breathing in, Sakura began her message, "Hey, it's me, Sakura. Um, I was wondering… if you'd like to attend, um, my— um, Sai's funeral reception that's being held in two days. So, uh, yeah call me back."

Sakura breathed out a big sigh, lowering her volume to silent and turning her screen off before setting it back on the table side. She leaned back into her pillows and stared at the ceiling, thinking back on the night, praying that it would all be just a dream.

That night, she eventually fell to sleep, snoring as to how tired she was and missing the voice mail that popped up on her phone, the name boring the screen with its big bold letters.

**Sasuke 3 missed call.** (A/N: Just in case it doesn't show, it says 'Sasuke (greater than sign and a three which equals a heart)** Sasuke 3 voicemail. **

(Line Interceding)

"Hey, it's Sasuke. Sorry, I missed your call," he said, breathing into the phone, "but I'm calling because I can't make it. I have a court case in two days that I have to prepare for and afterwards, I have an important meeting to go to. But if you like, we could catch up after the reception. Just text me." He breathed heavily again, "Okay, well, talk to you later then."

Hanging up, he grabs the remote and turns off the TV. The black screen pops up and in the reflection is a face that's staring at Sasuke's head. Sasuke, whom noticed the face jumps up and turns to the intruder.

"Karin…" His voice travels in the empty room, "What are you doing here?"

Karina darts forward, ignoring the question and leans against the couch, her hand gripping the leather cushion and sneers, "It's over, Sasuke."

With that she turns on her heel and walks out the room, slamming the front door behind her, leaving Sasuke to ponder on her absence. He shakes her head in puzzlement and plops back down on the couch and resting his head on the couch arm. Closing his eyes, he breathes out a heavy sigh. _Oh god, why me?_


	10. Chapter 10

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

A/N: Well this is awkward… I actually started writing Mysterious Found Chapter 10 before Chapter 9. But it went nicely as if I didn't write Chapter 10 after Chapter 8, right? Okay, well thanks for reviewing (even though I'll probably upload this with chapter 9) and here you have it folks, please RxR!

P.S. – I promise there will be more SakuXSasu in the next few chapters. Patience is a virtue.

(Line Interceding)

"We are here today," The old pastor, as everyone recalls is Old Monroe, stands behind the podium, nodding off to the people sitting in the pews, "to announce our son, brother and friend, Sai, whom had passed away a few days ago from a tragic accident."

She sat there in the very back of the pews, not ready to face what was supposed to be said. Although, she said she wanted it to be done and over with so she can get on with her life, she sat there staring at the open casket that laid on the big mantel behind Old Monroe. Flowers bloomed from each side the box, decorating it by vines and thorns. A vase of frail flowers seemed about wilted had a shiny red cover back note attached to it, the only live thing that came with the package.

Two men dressed in white suits stood on either side of Old Monroe, maybe, to Karina's thoughts, to make sure he won't fall dead since he's about ready to pass away also. Maybe this will be his last say in the matter too. Karina hadn't really thought of dressing up for a funeral reception but her manager insisted since it was an occasion and to make it up for Sai cheering her through her tournament— in his say, for being there to watch her win. Karina had boiled over, yelling at her manager that he didn't know him or them to be a fact; he didn't have a right to tell her otherwise. She had walked out on him while he was filing her next game for the next tournament in Hokkaido.

She had wondered what Sai was wearing in his new bed that he'll be sleeping in for the next a hundred years. She wondered what it was like to die as Sai did; it hurt her to think about it but then again, maybe it hadn't hurt him since it was a quick thought. She wondered what his last thoughts were before he died.

Imagining her in Sai's stead, she couldn't seem to know what it felt like for him. What his thoughts were, whom he was thinking about as he felt the impact. But, she did know whom she would be thinking about. Even after all these years, she had never stopped thinking about coming back to Sai, asking to be his girlfriend again because she had never meant to leave him like that. What was he thinking?

"_Hi," She chirped, giving him a slap on the back, "What cha drawing?"_

_Sai, being the quiet one through his middle school years, shot his attention towards Karina who stared at him in amazement. He grabbed his notebook and flipped it close, then turned away. But before he could, she swiped his notebook from him and hid it behind her and grinned at him. _

_He glared at her. She laughed, "Oh please, don't give me that look. I'm just curious."_

_He stayed quiet but continued to give her his meanest glare which she didn't flinch at all. He watched as she skipped a few feet back and leant back on a desk, taking his notebook from behind her and looking on the cover that spelt out, 'Curious Killed the Cat'. _

_She laughed, "How ironic!" She then stood up and walked to him, handing back his notebook. "Here."_

_He took it and raised a brow in suspicion as she turned to walk away but said, "Why aren't you going through it?"_

"_What?" She paused and turned to look at him. Her lips curved up, "You want me to?"_

_He sat there silently and shook his head at her, hugging his book close to him. She laughed and shook her head, making her hair bounce. His lips parted as he was going to question but she seemed to know what he was going to ask and so she strolled over to him and bent down to his level, sliding across his desk and came nose to nose with him._

_She glanced down for a second before slowly meeting his eyes, and breathed out, "You didn't give me permission." Her eyes searched for his but found nothing and then she backed away. _

_He sat there dumbstruck, as he watched her as she walked to the front where her friends were, giving her head shakes and then eyeing Sai a look and laughing. He pushed down the tingle feeling of shame. He grabbed his things and stuffed them into his bag before getting up to leave. Unnoticed, he didn't see Karina giving her friends and glare and looking at him with sad eyes before he dashed out the room. _

_Karina ran out the room, running down the left staircase and saw Sai fast pacing out the side door that led to the science department's green house. Karina ran to catch up and as she walked out, she paused and looked around. She didn't see him, and felt down about it. _

_Maybe she should head back, now that he misunderstood what her friends were laughing about, she thought, he wouldn't want to talk to her now that he thinks she was just joking with him._

_Her friends were laughing at her, not him. She wanted to tell him that, she wanted to become his friend. Not out of popularity or pity, but because she noticed his loneliness and wanted to confront him, befriend him. _

"Before we gather, his parents want to share something with all of you." Old Monroe stated, his hand flicking towards the first few pews at Sai's parents. They got up and walked to the podium and thanked Old Monroe before taking their turn to speak. Old Monroe was helped down to a chair where he sat and listened to the said boy's parents.

"Sai was an only child, he accomplished in everything— he was very artistic and developed a fond in nature." His mother coughed down a cry, as she brought a hanky to her eyes and patted the tear away. Her husband stood beside her, arms wrapped around her shoulder as he brought her close. "My son, my baby is now relieved from this awful, stressed out world. He **will** live in peace now. I love… loved my baby." She made a strangle cry and turned away, burying her face into her husband's chest.

_She walked deep into the green house and searched among plants and around corners and storages in which she thought he may be. But after searching for half an hour, three times around the green house, she had thought he must have dashed around the corner of the school than in the green house. He definitely wasn't in the green house. She walked out and around the corner where she thought he had probably hid from and saw his back pack (in which she saw him bring after fleeing from the room) lying carelessly on the floor. She walked to it and paused before kneeling down and picking it up. _

_What was his bag doing on the ground? Did he trip and dropped it before running again? Why would he run again when he's out of range with her friends? Is he scared that she'd come after him? Or, did he know she was following him? She had thought ferociously. _

_She stood like that which felt like forever before hearing a distant yell and a sharp pain lashing her shoulder. She jumped away with a squeak. She darted around seeing no one and with quick reflex, brought her hand to her shoulder. WHAT WAS THAT! Her mind screamed, her eyes widened as a thought brewed into her head, what if someone hates her and is trying to kill her?_

Hey!

_She snapped her attention upwards and blinked at the said boy's face. Sai climbed down the hidden ladder that was purposely above her. She stood there, her lip gaped open. She didn't know there was a stand in on the side of the school's building. As her eyes followed the staircase, it led to a small bridge that opened to a terrace **connected **to the green house._

_He jumped down and rushed to her, not caring to pick up the pencil that he dropped and searched for her wound. She stopped him and fumbled with her neck sleeve. She brought it down and saw the red slash that scarred her for life. His eyes widened and he brought his hands together over his head and immediately started apologizing like his life depended on it. _

"We have a few requested speakers today who want to share some special memories with you all and for our… son." Sai's father spoke up, choking the word 'son' out before nodding off to the left side of the pews.

Karina's eyes shot up and looked off where Sai's ex or current girl friend or what ever she is to him… was to him, stood up and walked towards the stage, from shaking hands to being pulled into embraces.

She began to speak, "Hi, I'm Sakura Haruno. Most of you know me… because I was Sai's… girlfriend. We've been dating since our sophomore year in high school. The truth is…" She looked off to the side at Old Monroe and then towards Sai's parents, before looking off to the rest of the people sitting in the pews, "Three years ago, we've been on a bumpy relationship— something went wrong, I'm not sure what it was, is, but maybe we weren't meant for each other and fate was telling us to break up already, or maybe we thought of each other, that we were cheating or doing other. I'm not sure of that either, but I do know of all the times we had, all the times we made each other laugh, it felt like eternity and when I was with him at the time, I… didn't want to lose him, to no other girl or to any accident. Everyday, I wished him in good health and that I'd get to see his face."

Karina watched as Sakura coughed to the side, and brought a finger to her eye, swiping away a tear that escaped. Her heart tightened. Most people cried for Sai, but they didn't really know about him, not like she did. She betted that she knew Sai more than those six years Sakura has been with him.

_Karina waved Sai off, like the mark wasn't real. She suddenly held both of his shoulders and made him look her in the eye. His brows rose in guilt but she winked at him, "Show me what you were up to and I'll let it go; promise."_

_Sai took a step back and nodded absentminded, astonished maybe. He turned and went to the ladder, bringing it down from its perch and then turned to Karina, lending out his hand. This was the first time Sai showed Karina kindness; it was the only time Karina saw how gentle he was being towards her, despite after the incident with her friends. She walked to him and took his hand in gratitude before stepping on the first step of the ladder and looking up. _

_Hauling up, Sai's book bag in one hand, she climbed about five steps. Sai poked her leg and tugged the bag from her hand. Pausing to look down, Karina had let go of his bag, letting it fall into his arms. He nodded for her to continue up and she did until she reached the top of the stand-in. Then she waited for Sai to climb to the top before he led her to the small bridge that crossed over to the green house._

"_So you **did** hear me call for you?" Karina looked bewildered like she just found out that she's been told a huge fat lie. Sai continued to stand on the other side of the bridge. _

"_You can say that." He spoke, turning to the terrace door and opening it. "Here, be careful. These steps are getting old."_

_Karina nodded, stepping over the steps and jumped slightly to his side, crowding his space. He took a step forward, closing in the little space between them and closed the door behind her. She didn't think anything of it and blinked a couple of times to focus her eyes._

_Sai pulled back and gave her a vexed expression, "You look ugly when you bat your eyes."_

_Karina looked taken aback and shot a glare at him, "Excuse me if I'm not too keen to the light as you are **and** I wasn't batting my eyes for you. Who do you think I am, some fan girl?"_

_Sai leaned on the rails to the terrace and shook his head in amusement, "Funny how you put it that way."_

_Karina gave him a confused look making him explain how to him, she acted like a fan girl chasing after him and calling out to him when none of her friends who seemed to be more superior to her would do. _

"_Look," She began as they sat down and he started to pull out his notebook from under a pot of leaves. "My friends weren't laughing at you."_

Old Monroe was back on the stage. This time he seemed to be looking far off beyond the pews. Straight at Karina, to be precise. "I think we have one last speaker in this house who'd like to say a few words among our family and friends. Please welcome Karina." He waved his hand forward towards the back. A few people's head that irked in curiosity turned their eyes to his direction.

Karina's thoughts were interrupted as her name was called and eyes were turned to her. She blinked and looked from the right side of the pews to the left and then towards Old Monroe, wondering why he called for her. Once he got her awareness, he waved his fingers towards him, onto the stage.

Karina knew right away that she had been caught before she could escape the reception. She stood slowly and reluctantly came out of the pew and took her time walking down the aisle to the stage. She felt like she was being wedded but no one she loved was standing at the platform except Old Monroe and the casket behind him, where her only love laid in.

Once she reached the podium, Old Monroe reached over, pulling Karina towards him, almost into a hug, "Come, and speak for the rest of us. You may say what's on your mind, let it all out." He smiled gently at her, showing his teeth which weren't toothless but clean and stained white. He must have a lot of time to make it that bright, Karina thought.

"I don't think what I got to say is important enough for these people to hear." Karina spoke, her voice just above a whisper, only meant for the pastor to hear. He shrugged and continued to encourage her to speak her mind, to tell the people what she thought of Sai and how she grown to love him than what others thought of them together.

_Her eyes glanced down at the cover of the notebook and then back up, to meet his. "You're curious, aren't you?"_

_Karina nipped her tongue and shook her head, "Not one bit."_

"_You're lying." He spoke, his voice deep and in honesty. Karina looked at him in spectacle as he continued, "Your cheeks tightened whenever you lie."_

_Karina's eye brows furrowed in wonderment as she tried to imagine what she looked like if she was lying and if she had noticed what her face was showing when she did. She kept her attentive focus on Sai as he chuckled softly at her and then flicked open his book. Her eyes swept from his face, down to the first page which showed a sketch of the school they were attending. _

"_You're teasing me." Karina's voice huffed in betrayal, as her eyes swept back up to his who looked taken aback. Apparently, he wasn't expecting that kind of response. _

_He concentrates to form a straight face, then his lips curl into a grin and he leans forwards and whispers to her, "What ever rocks your boat, I stand at the port."_

"_Fever has a lever," Karina shot back, leaning in, "I have the switch, where's the trick?"_

_He set aside the book and looked deeper into her eyes, "Ever heard of curiosity killed the cat?"_

"_Yeah, why?" Her voice breathed out as they leaned more towards each other._

"_You're the cat, and I'm your curiosity." He leaned forward, his eyes landing on her lips as she slowly exhaled a breath she was holding in, "That means, I have to punish you."_

_Then their lips were locked before she could breathe in a gasp. Her eyes immediately closed, as he deepened the kiss. For a moment, it felt like she was leading the kiss but then he crept over to her and pushed her down onto her back. _

It went by in a flash; people were staring at Karina, waiting for her to say something as she stared back, blankly. She let out a shaky breath and then began. "S-Sai—!"

"Sai was an important person to most of you who knew him. He was very special to me. I was Sai's girlfriend and companion back when we were in middle school together." Karina licked her lips, staring off to the back of the church. She continued, "I knew him like the back of my hand but he was the one to show me who I was… who I am now. I loved him… and I still do, with all my heart!" She laughed softly, choking down a sob, "That sounded cheesy… but it's true." 

The audience laughed softly too, some wiping away tears and others who came because they "had" to. Karina felt something in her chest tug but she had thought it was her heart breaking at the thought of Sai.

"What I'm… going to say next," Karina inhaled a breath before continuing to let it out a second later, "isn't going to be nice, to most people in this room. But the truth is…" She looked off to the left of the pews where Sakura was sitting, staring back at her with curiosity, and then looked off to the right of the pews, at Sai's parents, "You weren't there for Sai. When he needed you, I found him sketching in the green house at our middle school, or sitting on the abandoned bay port. When he felt lonely because you weren't there for him or on his birthday, I had to wake up early in the morning, and climb through his window with home made pancakes on a plate in hand and surprised him up close."

It seemed as Karina spoke, more and more about Sai, people's eyes had turned to Sai's parents as if they had just discovered a crime. Sai's parents looked at the ground in disappointment or shock or maybe even shame. Karina's eyes didn't stop directing her words at them. She kept at it, telling the audience how she was there for Sai as he was there for her during those four years of middle school.

"I love him like there's no tomorrow. If he hadn't died in that accident, I'd apologize to him for leaving him for that tennis scholarship, for taking an opportunity to change my life from back then to never leaving his side. I wanted to see him grow from being the boy I've fallen in love with to the man I will marry in the future...would marry."

Tears sprung from her eyes as flashes of memory whizzed by in her mind, memories of the last few days she had with him, those two days he had spent with her before her tournament.

"_I love you." His voice betrayed his thoughts, laying his head on her head and closing his eyes in weariness. "I always have, and I'll always will."_

She stood there, still as a tree in a storm, staring nothing but the back of the church, the exit to the church, perhaps. She could run now, never to look back again but then people would start talking. They just didn't get it. She loved him with all her heart and he said he was still in love with her even after she left.

"_You look beautiful." His lips quirked into a smile, arms folded across his chest. _

Someone in the room coughed, bringing her back from her sudden remedy and she immediately turned around on her heel and marched over to the casket. She took a breath, holding it and when she peered in, her breath evaporated.

There laid her beloved, her only— his eyes sealed shut, his skin pale as if he hadn't ate for days, his lips almost purple from the lack of air. But even in his state, remembering of all the times he had smiled, his eyes brightened whenever he heard her laugh, the warmth he carried when she was sick or worried. He was beautiful even in this state, more handsome than any man could be in her eyes.

"_Hey, would you rather spend your time with me? Or your precious tennis matches?" He nodded towards the courts while crossing his arms and giving her a bored expression._

She took his words considerably. She wished she'd had stayed with him than went to her tennis match. It would've been better that way, and then probably he wouldn't have died. 

"_T-That's!" She began, "That's besides the point!" She paced closer to him and the fence. Her red face giving away her anger but it soon subsided when Sai grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a sudden, firm kiss._

She lifted her eyes and began to ponder on Sai's and Sakura's relationship. What did he see in her? Why didn't their relationship work out before she got acquainted with him again? Did she do something wrong? Did he know she was coming back for the tennis match? Was his fate linked with her timing? Then it clicked.

Karina turned around, eyes meeting emerald. _If_ she didn't come and stopped them from dancing, Karina thought, Sai wouldn't have gone off and get him self killed. But then again, her last words towards Sai contradicted her blames. She too was at fault, but she didn't want to be all at blame, she wanted to put forward the hardships she went through and push it down on someone closer, someone almost resembling her, someone who took away her man for six whole years. It should've been her with him, dating him for those years on end.

Everyone was rising up from their seats and walking out to the aisles, gathering up in a line to give their silent prayers or wishes to the deceased man in the coffin. Karina watched as Sakura got up, pink hair bobbing along with the many elders, taking their time to get to the front.

She couldn't believe how calm Sakura appeared to be. What was her problem? How come she's not crying like Karina had wanted her to see? Did she actually hate being with Sai? She did, after all, make that huge speech! Karina stomped over to Sakura and glowered at her, sending a small spark in the atmosphere.

"I hate you." She spat, her ears ringing with anger, "If it wasn't for you, Sai would still be alive! How could you be so inconsiderate?"

Sakura's mouth fell in shock, her eyes widening in disbelief, "What are blaming me for? It's not _my_ fault he got into this accident."

Karina felt her blood boil, as her cheeks began to redden. This girl, she thought, is so rude and could she not read the atmosphere! "You should have died instead of him!"

Sakura shook her head, not understanding why Karina would say this to her. It was clear enough that she too acted differently before Sai had gone off to let out some steam. "Would you rather him cheat on you, without disregard?"

Karina's lips parted, she gritted her teeth and stood her ground, "You don't know him!"

Sakura bit back a laugh, shooting a glare at Karina, "Maybe. But at one point, he did have feelings for me."

Karina took a step towards Sakura, her eyes darting down at her as if she was a lower class. She probably is, Karina thought. She swallowed the heat down and cracked a senile grin, "I detest you so much, you can go die." Karina eye's flickered to the empty pew in which Sakura sat. "Instead," She breathed, "what happened to Sai, something different will happen to yours."

Sakura's ear popped, the color in her determined face drained. She felt as if Karina had placed a curse on her. Sakura furrowed her brows together in puzzlement, wondering what had happened. Karina jerked back from Sakura, "You've been warned. From now on, be more observant. Your destiny waits."

With that, Karina spun on her heel and stomped out the church, slamming the big doors behind her. Sakura blinked in oblivion; realizing she was still in the reception, she turned to find the line had already moved to the stage and there, she still stood next to the pew she had just gotten out from. She had wondered why no one had broken up the little scene Karina made, her threats still ringing in the air. Did anyone not notice or feel the atmosphere? Why didn't anyone stopped to break them apart? Was Sakura cursed? What just freaking happened?

(Line Interceding)

Sasuke had just come back from his work, setting down his brief case on the tile floor, and walking to the living room where he plopped down on the couch. It was three in the afternoon and the funeral reception should be over in half an hour. He was thinking between his schedule, if he should go to his appointment and then drive to Sakura's hometown to pick her up or the other way around. He thought that maybe she needed some time to cooperate after the huge impact with her ex boyfriend.

He sighed aloud, and pulled a small cushion over his face and groaned into it. He lay still, breathing into the pillow, smelling the soft scent of shampoo. This was definitely not good, Sasuke thought, removing the cover and staring at the ceiling.

Suddenly, a big bang was heard outside the room. Sasuke sat up, turning his head to find a woman with red hair strutting in, her face remotely disturbed as she reached him. The familiarity hit him once he realized it wasn't Sakura.

"Karin," Sasuke announced, "What is it you need?"

She stood there, hand leaning on the couch, her eyes traveling from the walls to the screen TV and to his face, meeting his eyes before leaning in and whispered, "I want you to do me a favor."


	11. Chapter 11

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

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A/N: Hey folks! I know it's been awhile since I updated any chapters (although it has only been a couple of days… greedy little readers, jk!) I was hoping those two chapters (ch. 9 and 10) would keep you occupied/ satisfied for the meantime until after I get my tests from school over with. Oh yeah that reminds me, I hope to hear some GREAT, fantastic suggestions or IDEAS that you'd like to recommend for Mysterious Found!

P.S. – Didn't I promise you guys some romance? Hehehe, I wonder…

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(Line Interceding)

_Sent: Sasuke 3 (heart)_

_From: Sakura_

_Text: Yeah, if you don't mind._

_X_

_X_

_Sent: Sakura_

_From: Sasuke 3 (heart)_

_Text: I don't. See you when I'll see you._

_X_

_X_

Closing her phone and dropping it back into her hand back, Sakura sat back on the church's stand-in stairs, leaning on her hands and stared at the gloomy, cloudy skies. It had rained earlier and Sakura knew it was going to rain again later on that night.

She had woken up late and when her alarm clock finally set off; she had panicked and got ready before rushing to the local church for the Sai's funeral reception. His parents were expecting her; it was the least she could do, especially how hard it was for them… not so much for… Sakura had thought.

Sakura shook her head in remembrance, feeling a bit guilty, feeling cruel of thinking such thoughts. After the reception, she went out to get some fresh air— she was the only person who didn't send any prayers or deep wishes to lifeless Sai, not only that, she didn't even give him a overlook. After Karina left her sight, escaping the suffocating church, Sakura had thought of leaving also but before she could, Sai's parents had stopped to talk to her, thanking her for coming and it would've meant a lot to Sai.

Sighing, Sakura looked off, leaning forward, hugging her knees and thought of the only thing she could of at the moment. Distractedly, she had thought of the first night she had met him. How he almost, _almost_ ran her over… but that's how they met and what if, she thought, they met in a different way? Would he come to like her, befriend her? Would she have acted the way she did when they had first met, or seeing him as handsome as any guy who'd run into her and act completely different? No, she thinks, closing her eyes.

_It was a long day and Sakura had been stuffed up in her house for three weeks. She didn't know why she has been so depressed lately or the fact that she preferred to be inside than enjoying the fresh air outside, seeing the sun and running around. She had almost forgotten what it was like to be a normal being, **almost** forgetting that there were also other people in the world, alike from her except they enjoy going outside than staying in the cave like she did. _

_A shell, a wrapped box with nothing inside, a body with no soul in it, a mouth but no voice; Sakura felt isolated and just the thought of being all alone hit her like a sack of potatoes, hard. She felt like dying, she was suffocating in her own home and no one knew about it_, _not her parents, not Sai and definitely not the world. She needed help, and fast! She cried out, but her voice was a mere breath which was replaced by a horrid, senile laughter. But it wasn't her who laughed, Karina was standing outside her window, clearly eyeing her with the most hatred she could muster and continued laughing at her misery. _

_Sakura screamed, turning away and ran to the next room where she slammed the door shut but the room was filled with sunlight and suddenly, there were windows, five of them to be exact and each of them had Karina's faces printed, her eyes blinking back at hers, Karina's mouth in a tight grin, snickering at her failure. Her lips moved slowly, pronouncing a string of curses only meant for Sakura. Sakura bolted for the door that seemed to open by itself and there stood in the middle of the entrance was Sai, alive and scary-looking. _

_He trudged forward, his leg limp and his arms outstretched. Sakura shook her head in puzzlement and fear that he might attack her, even though a little part of her conscience told her to help him. She scooted towards the walls— the windows slowly inching open without Sakura knowing and instantly rolls of laughter flows into the room, making Sakura screech. _

_Then as if she had dreamt it all, the room changed and Sai and Karina had vanished, leaving Sakura alone in a room, with four walls, no windows, a dresser and a big TV across from the door. She was lying in a bed, the covers tucked beneath her neck and she was staring at the ceiling. The only light that was provided was the dim glow from behind the door. _

_For a second, her mind wanders, thinking of how familiar it all seemed. Although, she wasn't quick enough to figure it out, the door opens and in steps a man, with his raven hair slicked back, his eyes meeting hers and his lips form into a relieved smile. He walks over, with a tray and a bowl of hot soup. Setting it down on the side table, he leans forward, his face coming in contact with hers._

_Sakura immediately blushes, as his head reaches hers and as he placed his forehead on the surface, she couldn't help but gasp. What was wrong with her! She thought silently, closing her eyes and mentally hitting herself for being retarded. When she reopened her eyes, she was staring back into his. Flustered, Sakura tries to get up but as he backs away, he pushes her back down. _

'_No,' his voice was soft but a sweet and alluring deep tone made her close her eyes again, as she leaned back into the pillows, 'not yet.'_

_She wanted to ask him why, and how'd she got there, but her lips didn't tend to move. Her mind was running fine, but quickly she had the image and knowledge of her arms and legs not responding to her inner commands. She was stuck. Tears sprung from the brim of her eye lids and fell with deep meaning. _

Sakura?

_He turned around, holding the tray and paused to see her eyes blink away the formed tears. With one hand, he balanced the tray and with the other hand, he reached over and smooths the tears away from her cheeks with his thumb. He gave her a soft expression, mixed with concern and presence. Sakura's forehead folded in confusion on why he's being so kind to her. _

_She gritted, forcing her tongue to react as to pushing her lips to open. It felt like years for them to open and when they do, she immediately feels embarrassment for opening her mouth at him, no words to say. Her brows furrow in frustration and she bites her tongue for being so stupid. _

Sakura, sweetie?

_He turns sideways, still facing her; he sits on the side of the bed and brings the tray closer to his side. Taking the spoon that had suddenly popped out of nowhere; he dipped it into the soup and lifted it towards Sakura's mouth. Pressing it against her lips, the warm liquid had seeped through and she tasted the seasoned recipe that he had prepared. _

_If she didn't have control over her own body, she knew who did and he was sitting right beside her, feeding her soup. Sakura felt a blush creeping onto her cheeks in discomfiture, but as she imaged him in bed and her spoon feeding him like a baby, she couldn't help but give a little laugh. _

_He quirked a brow and toss her a confused expression. She shook her head, actually feeling overwhelmed by bliss. What was going on with her, she thought. She hadn't felt this way before, so why now?_

'_I like you better this way.' He mutter, shooting her a grin before getting up, the empty bowl and spoon set aside on the tray he was holding. He began to walk but Sakura had finally found the nerve that stricken her movements and jerked upright, her arm outstretched and feeling the cloth that he wore as he moved and gripped it, making him pause. _

_Glancing at her to the side, he tilted his head back and gave her a toothy grin making her loosen her grip and she watched him walk out the room, closing the door behind him. What would she have done? She looked at her still outstretched hands and slowly retracted it towards her chest. Parting her lips, she breathed out a shaky breath before leaning back into the pillow, but instead of pillows— wrapped around her were arms. _

_Sakura shrieked, her head flying to the side, eyes widening when she met cold ones. The girl from before, the one who was laughing outside Sakura's windows had found her again and instead of laughing at her, she glared at her, her arms wrapped tightly around Sakura's neck, squeezing her like a snake would with it's prey. Staring in bewilderment, her red hair started to consume the room, tiny sparks rekindled as her mouth opened and she started her little sermon of curses. Sakura whipped her head about, watching as the room started melting, and a fly of spark flew from the girl's hair and onto the dresser, turning it into charcoal. _

_The room continued to blur, and as her inner system was burning with rage. She couldn't believe how much she wanted to scream at the said girl who was choking her, who was now yelling curses at her, at top speed. She just couldn't get away. She was trapped, stuck, and time didn't freeze as she hoped because she really, really wanted to get out there, out of this nightmare. A realization flashed past her mind as she abruptly held her breath for a second. Recalling earlier, a flutter of a memory struck her and she started to regain composure, once again._

_Struggling, she thrashed in the bed, lunging forward but only to be jerked back, the hands clasping around her neck, even tighter. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut as she felt dizziness overwhelm her. She snapped her eyes open again, not believing that the girl behind her will actually kill her in her nightmare, in her own sleep because she knew that she had control to overcome her dream, to lead it elsewhere, but first she has to get out. Out to safety, and into safe arms. _

_A number of colorful spots filled her vision, Sakura's lips parted as she tries to regain small breaths. She was losing it! Wake up, she screamed in her mind, wake up! _

Eyes flying open, Sakura sat up gasping. She could feel the sheets underneath her, damp with sweat. Confused, she whipped her head around the room, making sure there wasn't any live zombies or the girl— Karina, around making her nightmare as real as possible. Scanning the room, a sense of familiarity fluttered into her chest and a little fright had made its way across her face.

A small flicker of the dream crossed her mind and as much as exhausted she was— she dare not lean back into the pillows. She remembered every last detail of the quick motion nightmare that seemed too slow for a dream but nearing the end, went quick in a blink of an eye. But for Sakura, it had slowed down by a fraction, almost reliving the nightmare; she thought of it as much as a stop motion movie.

_She remember the girl choking her and just as Sakura was about to collapse, her system shutting down— bright lights erupts across the room and running towards her is a blur, but before she had awoke from this terrible, terrible nightmare, she heard his voice, and his voice only._

"Sakura," Sasuke spoke softly, nudging her knee with his hand, making sure she was okay, "What is it?"

Sakura's zone was disrupted as she blinked slowly and felt her stomach do a flop. She parted her lips once more and lifted her eyes towards the said man. Swallowing, she could feel her breaths shake as she nervously nods in acknowledgement even though she clearly didn't hear the concern in his voice.

Sasuke sat on the edge of his bed in which Sakura laid in. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sakura, not getting what he's asking, turns her head to scan the room again then examines Sasuke, her eyes traveling over his features, making sure that she wasn't in another dream, that he was real. She leans forward, and inches her hand towards his arm.

She pokes him making him quirk his brow in wonder and amusement. "Do I fascinate you?"

Sakura snaps her eyes at him and then replies dully, "Nope, this is definitely reality."

Sasuke's lips curve at the edge and chuckles at Sakura's words, "Still dazed by your dream?"

Sakura bit her lip, lowering her eyes to his hands. "Kind of."

"Would you mind telling me what you dreamt of?" He asked shifting his position and letting his arms fall on his knees. He turned his head to the side, glancing at the worried expression written across Sakura's face. "It's okay if you don't want to. I'm not forcing you to tell me…"

Sakura swallows but she nods at his kind words. She takes a deep breath before telling him what happened to her in her dream. She tries to interpret the details, covering some plots which she found gruesome to be really terrifying with a simple fake story.

"Was I… in your dream?" Sasuke slowly looks up, his eyes meeting hers before she turned away, flushed.

"What," She stutters, and then coughs, "what do you mean?"

Sasuke lowers his eyes at her fidgety hands, and brings his hands over hers, making her jump in surprise. Holding her hands still, Sakura glances up shyly but Sasuke isn't looking at her, he's looking at her hands, or more likely their hands, Sakura thought. She could feel the blush seeping through her neck, but she couldn't let him know that's how she's reacting towards him. No way.

"Sasuke!" She chirps, pulling her hands free, and claps twice, getting his attention. He seemed to zone out also, but looked oblivious that he held her hands in the first place. Sakura continued, wondering how she got here, in his room, in his bed.

"Oh well, I was driving to your neighborhood, and while passing the local church, I saw you sleeping on the church's steps. Thought I might surprise you, but you were dead asleep." Sasuke coughs, after his choice of words sink into his mind and Sakura's who flushes, "I tried waking you up multiple of times, but there was no helping it— seeing how exhausted you look…"

"Oh thanks," Sakura reaches up and rub her eyes in weariness, "But how'd I get here?"

Sasuke pulls up a knee and lays his head upon it, staring at Sakura, "Isn't it obvious? I drove you to my house and carried you to my room where you've been sleeping in my bed… for the past four days!"

Sakura pulls up, teasingly smacking Sasuke's leg with her hand, "Nah ah!"

Sasuke pretends to look uneasy, and rubs his leg where Sakura had hit him, "Owie, you're so violent!"

"Oh please," Sakura rolls her eyes and shoots him a cheeky grin, "You'll get over it."

Sasuke stands up, abruptly and turns on his heels, leaving the bedside. Startled at his sudden actions, Sakura suddenly remembers her dream and how she was left alone; suffocating in a nightmare she was not supposed to belong in. Grabbing a fist hold of his shirt, she jerks Sasuke back and he falls onto the bed, and hangs it there.

Sasuke peeks at Sakura, finding her lip quiver and his expression softens. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to pull you." As Sakura says this, she tightens her hold on his sweatshirt.

Sasuke notices this and fully turns his attention towards the saddened girl in front of him. "What is it?"

Sakura absentminded relives her dream but this time, she could control her limbs, happy for the fact that **she **can command what to do and her body will obey, she could speak as well, basically she did in reality what she did in her dream. Half-heartedly, she whispers softly, "_Don't go."_

Well it's better than saying 'don't leave me', Sakura thought to her self after the words she had spoken sunk in, it made her sound desperate if she did use those choice of words, even though half of what she thought could've said was true, she didn't want him knowing about how she felt for him, quite frankly having quick feelings and only before her ex boyfriend who was her current boyfriend without her knowing he was cheating on her a night before his deadly curfew.

Sasuke doesn't speak, not after a minute or two. He waits as an awkward moment passes, he still doesn't speak. Their eyes doesn't meet and it's like as Sakura hoped would happen in her dream, she felt like the room had froze, time stopped and it was just her and Sasuke and this time, she had hoped he'd say something instead of making it too awkward for her.

"Say something…" Sakura began, interrupting Sasuke's thoughts.

"I'm thinking."

Sakura bites her bottom lip, and furrows her brow. It must be difficult to be a boy, nonetheless, a man such as himself, Sakura thought. Finally, Sasuke shook his head and grabs for his pocket, but realizes what he's missing is in the next room.

"Where are you going?" Sakura asks timidly, her hold on his shirt had loosed a bit. She couldn't look at his eyes directly, so instead she had looked past his shoulder, making it look like she was looking at him. But Sasuke didn't mind, he was looking at the door, wondering where he had left his phone at. "You're leaving me?"

Although Sakura told herself she wouldn't sound desperate, she felt the dream was all too real and that it'd come to haunt her as soon as Sasuke walks out the room. Maybe something will happen, causing her to scream out and what if Sasuke doesn't hear? Sakura thinks her mind winds in a feverish state of what-ifs, What if he doesn't come to my rescue? What if he's tired of me?

Turning, he places his hands over her fist, and gently releases her fingers from his wrinkled shirt. He then lowers his voice and speaks softly, his gaze on Sakura's own, "Don't worry, I'll come back."

He recedes out the room, and Sakura is left wondering how soon he'll be back. She hesitates to lean back into the pillows but feeling as exhausted the night before, she reluctantly laid back, not before glimpsing behind her to make sure there aren't any hands. Closing her eyes again, she immediately falls to sleep— a dreadful and sleepless dream.

Her eyes searched for an exit, running down a dark narrow hallway from a black hole, sucking everything in its path. She sees a door with a dim light illuminating from underneath, a small signal setting off in her head, indicating that was the way out. Pumping her energy, and tucking in her arms, she sprints towards the door but as she was closing in, she felt like déjà vu had swallowed her existence and over and over, she runs and tries to reach the door but every time, the door seems further away and this time, the black hole is even closer.

She struggles against the pull force, and falls to the ground but this time, there's no ground, nothing to hold on to, she's floating in midair and being sucked into the hole. Her mind reels in expectation and fear. She screams, but her voice is muffled and muted by the soaring roar of the hole. Before being swallowed by the darkness, she saw the door swing open and lights bursting through.

She sits up abruptly, her head being pounded into a block and being slammed back into the pillows. A loud 'OW' and mutters of hurt strung out Sakura's mouth as she squinted at the culprit. Sitting up, she spots Sasuke sitting on the floor beside the bed, head in his hands.

"Oh my gosh!" Sakura exclaims, hands flying to her mouth and already forgot about her head, "Did I do that? Oh, I'm sorry, Sasuke! I didn't know you were there!"

Her apologies continued to rumble out of her mouth but she was silenced by Sasuke's hand. She bites her bottom lip and sulks, and removes the covers, swinging a leg out of bed. She bends low, a hand reached for Sasuke's shoulder, "I'm **so** sorry!"

Observing in concern, using his other hand, Sasuke pinches the arch of his nose and squints his eyes shut, hoping the pain would go away and feeling a bit embarrassed that she did that to him without realizing it at first.

A moment of silence passed by but Sasuke could hear the shuffling behind him and lifted his head, breathing in a gulp of air.

"Did I hurt you?" Sakura's audited a small concern and guilty query, "Sasuke?"

He turns his head and faces Sakura's worried expression. His lips parted as her eyes widened, blurring up with tears. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I was asleep and when I awoke, you were there but I didn't know you were there and I guess we smacked heads and— and Oh! I'm deeply and terribly sorry!"

Sasuke turned away, shaking his head and noted, "You were screaming."

Sakura gasps inwardly, and places her hand over her mouth. The concern on her face didn't describe how ruined she felt hurting Sasuke. The more apologetic she felt couldn't replace his beautiful and handsome features. She had hurt him and all she wanted to do was kiss his worries away. "If there's anything I can do, get you a band aid, ice?"

"Kiss…"

Sakura freezes, her foot dangling from the bed, near Sasuke's shoulders. She swore she could feel her face burning up when her mind registered what he was asking for. "What?" she breathed out, "Wait, you want me to kiss your boo boo's away?"

Sasuke gets up and exhales a deep huff and turns fully around, facing Sakura. Looking up, Sakura couldn't help but feel small and valuable, being sized up and Sasuke hovering over her, her breath was caught in her throat.

"Yes," Sasuke breathed out, suspended over Sakura. He lifted his hand and pulled a single loose lock behind her ear, "I want you to kiss my boo boo's away."

It almost sounded like sarcasm but behind those words, Sakura's wild imagination grew wider and bolder. She bit her tongue so she wouldn't word off or stutter in anyway. At first, she wanted to burst into a fit of laughter, after hearing him say such a childish word! Absurdly, Sakura nodded slowly before lifting her hand towards his face, brushing away a forgotten but seen eyelash, and breathed out slowly, almost seductively in front of Sasuke, _"Where does it hurt?"_

He takes a moment before whispering, "My forehead."

Sakura lifts her head and eyes the small bump. Closing the space, she brushes her soft and petite lips on the bump, giving it a second or two before backing away.

"My nose." He mutters, and lifts a finger to point it out, "Left side."

She moves lower and leans in, blowing air out and then kisses his nose, hoping it doesn't bruise in the future. She'd feel really guilty if his face ruined his business image (even though she doesn't really care about images or outer appearances) but she knew she would be the cause of the entire ruckus, knowing that she damaged his handsome visage.

"Here," His breath overwhelming Sakura as he lifts his hand to her chin and brushes her lips with his slender fingers. Sakura feels her cheeks boil in shyness but there was nothing she could do to hide it. He lowers his eyes and leans in, his hands traveling from her lips down her shoulders and to her hips, pulling her gently towards her.

Sakura's breathing was hitched deep in her throat and she wished Sasuke didn't note that she went rigid as his actions portrayed his desire. Sakura didn't want to pull away and she hoped she'd kiss him, not to kiss his injury away but in want and need. Not wanting to smack lips desperately, Sakura took her time and leaned in, her head tilted back as she eyed his lips.

Almost there, Sakura told herself.

Three inches away. Two inches. One more! Closing in— the door bell rings in a loud church-like tune. Jerking back, Sakura whips her head to the side, her fingers caressing her lips, closing her eyes in disappointment.

Sasuke sighs and leans away, bringing his attention to a distant noise outside the room.

Walking to the door, he glances back at Sakura who's in a daze and then goes out to retrieve his phone.

Snapping out of arguing with herself, she finally notices Sasuke isn't in the room anymore and hears his voice drifting in the air. She climbs out and trudges to the door, swinging it open a bit and poking her head out. She sees Sasuke unlocking the door and opening it for the man standing outside. Naruto!

They speak and seeing how Naruto was whining to Sasuke for not being punctual, Sasuke muttered something to Naruto and ran his hand through his hair, leaning back on the door's side and exhaled a tired sigh.

Sakura swallows deep and having the feeling that if she didn't go back into Sasuke's room, she might be discovered by Naruto and he could probably misinterpret what she was who she was. Sakura definitely didn't want that.

"Oh yeah! The other day, I think I left my package in your room, under your bed." Naruto chirped, passing Sasuke on the way to the stairs.

Startled, Sakura paces the room, and darts to Sasuke's bed. Dropping to the ground, she sees the box that Naruto was referring to and overheard Sasuke stopping Naruto to make small talk. Growing overly anxious, she knew she could buy so little time and runs quietly to the door, inching it open.

Naruto's back is facing Sakura and Sasuke has his eyes on his phone as he shows Naruto a text or a picture, Sakura wasn't sure. But she is sure that she had to get out of there. She goes out, closing the door behind her with a soft click and tip-toes down the hall, and seeing a door left ajar, she quickly sprints forward and swings the door open, revealing a clean light blue bathroom. Satisfied, she goes in.

"It'll only be quick," Naruto exclaims, reaching the top stairs and walking to Sasuke's door. His hand wraps around the knob and turns it but then pauses and grins at Sasuke, "It's not like you're hiding any play boys or a certain toy in there… are you? Don't give me that look! I want to see!"

She knew eavesdropping was a bad idea but she couldn't help it if Naruto was that loud and after letting his words sink into her head, she also wondered if Sasuke was the type to keep perverted possessions in his room, hidden. At the thought, her face heated up and she felt a twinge of noise erupt from deep in her throat.

"See!" Naruto's voice erupted into a laugh, "What'd I tell you?"

"Are you done?" Sasuke's voice drifted through the door and Sakura had to hold her breath, hoping none of the boys had to use the bathroom. She looked around. It was a small bathroom, only a small white sing sticking out the wall, and small mirror hovering over the sink, a toilet and a small individual tub, with dark curtains designed to stick to the side. There was nothing she could hide behind!

"No, before we go—" Naruto voice drifted making Sakura's panic grow worse, "I have to take a leak!"

Hearing footsteps trudging towards the bathroom, Sakura dashed for the tub and slid down, pulling the curtain slightly to the middle, to hide her head poking out, but at least she was unseen.

The door opened and in walked Naruto. Something clatters in the sink, as he turns on the tablet. It takes him a moment before shutting it off, then he walks closer to the tub and Sakura brings her hands to her face, squinting her eyes shut, and holding her breath. She hoped Naruto wouldn't hear her breathing so rashly.

But he doesn't go to the tub; he opens the toilet seat instead and then takes a second. Sakura couldn't believe her ears! She felt so embarrassed when she heard the peeing process begin, and that she wanted to jump out the tub and run out the bathroom, just wanting this moment to be over with or simply dying in the tub, hoping no one would find her there.

A small chuckle was heard, and then he burst out laughing, his voice a mix of a deep hoarse and a gasp of hurt. Swinging the curtains open, Sakura shot her eyes open in horror and found Sasuke instead, leaning against the wall, taking in the sight of her. In his hand, Sasuke held up a cup and tipped it above the toilet, letting the water from inside surf out. Sakura's mouth drops and she stares at Sasuke with a horrified expression written across her face.

(Line Intercedes)

"You!" Sakura sits up and leans against the wall of the tub, letting out a scary but low screech, "You were the one behind this! You scared me! I thought you were Naruto!"

He shook his head, ceasing his laughter, and looking down at Sakura in amusement, "Well since you weren't in my room, I had thought you were in the bathroom… hiding."

"But!" Sakura started, and looked at the door behind him.

"Don't worry, I locked it and besides, I sent him to the downstairs bathroom instead." Sasuke spoke, closing the toilet seat and sitting on top of it, turning to the sink counter and placed the cup upside down to dry.

Sakura glares at Sasuke and then groans back, slumping back in exhaustion. "Don't do that again."

Sasuke leans forward placing his elbows on his knees and clasps his hands under his chin, observing Sakura. Looking at her outstretched legs, she confirms that she has been caught and she has been mortified but that couldn't be compared to being found out by Naruto. That would be dreadful for her part.

"What was he here for anyway?"

Sasuke tapped his foot on the tile floor and unclasped his hands before turning his head to the door and then back at Sakura, giving her a blank look. "He came to… remind me to go to my appointment."

Sakura's eyes went wide, and her mouth fell, "You mean you didn't go!" She meant to say it in a question format but turned out differently and his response was a shrug. "Was it because of me?"

"Actually, I had other business to attend to." Sasuke reached back and scratched the back of his head before settling back to his original position. Sakura opens her mouth, words left unsaid but it was her mind that was sorting the sentences, the questions, the curiosity she so wanted to audit. "It's alright, I told Naruto I wasn't going."

"No!" Sakura's voice echoed off the bathroom walls. Sasuke didn't expect Sakura to shout, but as she did, she sensed her situation and lowered her voice, "You have to go! I don't want you to get in trouble, just because you had to pick me up and make sure I was alive!"

Sasuke raised an eye brow, waving at Sakura's position in the bath tub. Sakura flushed, "I mean! Look, just go do your thing… I'll be fine here!"

Sasuke remained stoic, and calmly looked sideways at the tub's shower curtain, "Are you sure you can reach your back? Maybe I should stay and help you scru—"

Sakura gritted her teeth to stop the blood from flooding her whole face. "No!" She sneered, "That'd be terrible!"

"For who? You or my job?" Sasuke snickered, frankly enjoying his teasing with Sakura.

Sakura jerks back, her face covered by the curtains and lays back against the head board of the tub bowl. She doesn't answer right away, for she was still thinking of what to say, choose her words wisely before her actions do. She settled on the thought of just getting straight to the point. "Hurry up! Or else I'll drag you there myself!"

"SASUKE! I'M HEADING BACK THEN; SEE YOU WHEN YOU GET THERE! DON'T BE LATE!" Naruto yells from below the staircase.

Then there was a loud bang of the front door and Naruto's car could be heard revving up and being driven out the neighborhood. Sakura sat up as Sasuke muttered in defeat, "He must be thinking I'm taking a huge dump… _Great!_"

Sakura laughs and shakes her head. Standing up, she climbs over the tub and walks past Sasuke to the door, then pauses as she unlocks it. "Wait," she gasps and places a hand to her mouth, "Did he hear me yell at you?"

Sasuke gets up and walks a few steps forward and stands behind Sakura. He reaches past Sakura's shoulder, grasping her hand over the knob and turns it. Sakura blinks and the door opens, revealing an empty hallway and a silent breeze. Sasuke lets go and squeezes past Sakura and the door. He slugs back to his room, opening the door with ease and slips through, leaving Sakura to zone out on her own.

A few minutes pass by and Sakura still stands there, wondering why Naruto hadn't heard her shouting at Sasuke to be quiet and for tricking her like that. She wondered why he hadn't gone to investigate on his own or why Sasuke took so long in the bathroom. She also wondered why she was still in the bathroom and where in the world did Sasuke go off to?

Finally stepping out of the four walled bathroom, Sakura makes her way to Sasuke's bedroom door. She knocks softly and tries the door. It swung ajar and Sakura peeked in, spotting Sasuke wrapped in his covers like a cocoon or a zombie wrapped in so many layers, just lying there on the bed. Sakura stifled a giggled and tip toed over to the bed.

She quietly thinks up a plan to yank the covers off him and watch him fall off the bed as she does so. But the thought of how much he weighed brought her to the conclusion that it wouldn't be a good idea other wise. She slowly redraws the covers off his head and stares at his tired face.

Coughing for acknowledgement, Sasuke doesn't stir. Sakura raises an eye brow and with a finger, she jabs it into his cheek. Hoping to make him wince at the pressure she's pressing, his response instead is crinkling his nose like a cat and his whiskers. Sakura's lips curve up at the ends and it almost made her hum out an adored reaction.

Again, she thought and reached over to grab her phone by the night stand and when she retrieved it, she opened it up to take-a-picture. She turned around and met the eyes of her prey that was asleep a few seconds ago and her expression was startled to a disappointed pout. She immediately pressed end on her phone and tossed it back onto the countertop.

Sasuke snickered and poked her cheek with his finger, "Pay back."

She stuck her tongue out and drew it back in, rolling her eyes, "Whatever!"

He turned over and crossed his arms behind his back and stared at the ceiling, "It's SP."

Sakura tilts her head back and glances at Sasuke, "What?"

"The bathroom." Sasuke noted, not looking at Sakura, "its silent proof."

One second. Two seconds. One minute and a few seconds before Sakura snickers and leans back on her heels, then stands up, "Someone doesn't want his company hearing him sing… secretly in the shower, mm?"

Sasuke closes his eyes and sighs, "Or perhaps having 'fun' in one."

Sakura gaudy expression drops immediately and she puts two and two together; her face twisting in disgust, "No way!"

Sasuke secretly watched Sakura's expression change, closing his eyes again, he nodded… and snickered. "Of course, what's a bathroom for anyway?"

"Not to have _fun_, that's for sure!" Sakura spat, taking a step away from the bed. "You want to have fun? Go outside!"

Sasuke opens one eye and glances at Sakura who's looking back; upset, "Ooo, tempting but I rather not have a public eye watching me, unless—"

"NOPE!" Sakura puts up a hand in midair, above his head, "NO MORE!"

As much as the questions arouses in her mind, the more she becomes disappointed with herself. She was mad for even thinking of such thoughts, and more questions rounded up— wondering beyond his personal life, as to right then. Her lip lacked and a deep frown settled onto her features, showing she was both disgusted and upset.

Suddenly, a phone goes off and it's coming from Sasuke's pocket. Sasuke reaches in and digs it out, flipping the screen open and looks at the caller ID, "Oh, its Naruto."

Then it clicks. Naruto rings the door bell and calls Sasuke's phone. Then Naruto entering and retrieving his mail and using the downstairs bathroom. Naruto yells at Sasuke to hurry it up and meet him at his appointment. Sakura spats out daring words, if Sasuke isn't serious about going, she'd be the one to drag him to his meeting.

Apparently, she groaned aloud, grabbed the phone and pressed end, giving Sasuke a hard look before grabbing his arm and pulling him off the bed.

"C'mon, we're going." She spoke, grabbing her own cell phone and slipping it into her pocket and walks to the door.

Swinging it open, she glances back at Sasuke just lying there on the ground, one foot aloof on the bed, "Going? Where to?"

"I'm dropping you to your meeting. It'd be rude to your fellow company if you weren't there and besides that, Naruto came all the way here just to remind you to come. Have you forgotten already? Now I did tell you, if you're slacking off, I _will_ **drag** you there myself?" Sakura scowled, "C'mon, I don't have all night. I got things to do, and I have to go home too!"

"You can go home tomorrow." Sasuke answered, sliding his foot off the edge of the bed and slumping to the side, "Without you, this house would be dead."

Sakura remains at the door, but she turns and goes out into the hallway and turns to the left, stepping up to the staircase, "I'm waiting. Hurry up!"

It doesn't take long until Sasuke slumbers out his room and follows Sakura down the stairs. He leans on the rails as he watches her do her job in getting him outside, not before putting on his shoes and jacket. Therefore, he notices that she's in such a hurry that she doesn't think of putting on a jacket, yet not bringing one either since earlier in the morning, it was warmer than this cool breeze.

_It's only 7 pm, _Sasuke thinks, checking the time on his watch and follows Sakura out the gate entrance and pauses when Sakura starts walking the opposite direction from his work. She stops and then does a counter clockwise, and notices him standing there giving her an amuse look.

"It's this way?" She mumbles past him and he nods even though she doesn't see it, "I knew that…"

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A/N: Oh! I almost forgot (at the moment that I'm typing this down, I have **NO** internet! SAD FACE!) I received a question from a recent reviewer (LilyVampire) who reviewed the previous chapter, asking if Karina is Karin or another girl. Yes, Karina is Karin— in this story, Mysterious Found, I made Karin's surname Karina but in short, it's still the same person. There's nothing changed about the original character from Naruto. I don't likely put OC's unless it has a link to the story or plot. If you have any other questions, please let me know by pm and I'd be happy to oblige either on A/N's or in your pm box! Thanks again for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

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A/N: Hi ladies and gents (if there are any, but I'm not doubting), thank you for reading Mysterious Found and reviewing all those past chapters. I bet you want to quit reading this little heads up and start reading the Chapter 12! Okay, but before you do, I just want to remind you two simple things— one: PM me your suggestions or ideas to add into Mysterious Found so I can add a little twist to the story AND two: don't FORGET to RxR! Thank you!

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On the way to Sasuke's job, Sakura zones out once again, thinking about matters involving the location of his job and the city. She then compared it to her hometown and even though she didn't have a regular job, she thought best of working as a daycare assistant. It may not have been great job, to one who gets paid, but Sakura enjoyed being surrounded by children and keeping herself occupied by making up sorts of odd jobs to help the staff and kids.

A smile tugged on the corner of her lips. Sasuke, on the other hand, looked off further down the road. He hadn't walked much to his work since it was about two miles from his house. It had only taken them half the hour to go one mile; he could have already been at his work in five minutes by car but Sasuke didn't mind. He liked the view among the small remote area, despite it recovering from being ghetto and of course, he needed the exercise.

They exited the narrow roads and crept up the sidewalk, leading to a deserted alley. Old waste bins were filled with junk and dirty, ripped clothes. There was a small scratched up lunchbox thrown to the side where a couple of flies buzzed about, gathering and scattering off. It wasn't a long way through, just a border line to the city limits.

"What a dump." Sakura recalled, skittering beside Sasuke. She eyed the graffiti that stained the walls with foul words and drawings.

"What'd you expect from a city?" Sasuke's voice drew her attention as she shrugged and skipped forward, turning around. "Careful, you might trip."

Sakura turned back around in time to see a sleek black and orange flames whiz by as she made it out of the alleyway. Sasuke paused and squinted at the said car, shaking his head in disappointment.

"C'mon," Sakura nodded, "When does your meeting start?"

Sasuke gave it some thought and glanced at his watch, "Soon."

"How much is soon?" Sakura persisted, not wanting to be impatient but did so as she pleased. She couldn't help it; she wanted to hear the answer to her question and 'soon' wasn't going to cut it.

Sasuke turned his head both ways before crossing the street with Sakura following behind like a lost puppy. "I thought you were going to drag me to my meeting?" mumbled Sasuke as Sakura reared to the curb, giving a little hop and balancing on the edge before giving him a second glance.

Looking up, a street light flittered beside a big billboard which advertised a spa treatment. Sakura's eyes traveled from the picture of a woman holding up her hands and a tray filled with hot towels and boiled rocks. Sakura nodded, thinking how nice it would be if she spent a day at a spa.

Sasuke led Sakura down a couple of streets and bus stops then rounded the corner where suddenly a lot of people bustled about. Stores were opened up for the night, their lights blinking different colors. Sakura was surprised how quiet it was until they stepped around the corner. Truly fascinated by the city, Sakura leapt a few steps ahead, only to gawk at how many people occupied their time by shopping and talking on their cell phones. There wasn't much cars driving past but it would probably be a lot worst if there were.

A hand gripped Sakura's shoulder. Sakura turned to see Sasuke exhaling a deep sigh then he straightened up and nodded at a building to the left, six floors up was a small tower with about a few satellites pointing towards the sky. A sign stuck out of the building catching Sakura's attention as she read, 'Uchiha's Corp'; her eyes flew open and she gaped at Sasuke standing there, not surprised by her reaction. She must have known, he thought, maybe not.

"Hey, it's that flashy car that passed by!" Sakura thought aloud and absentminded pointed at the bright and sleek mustang that was being parked at the side of the building. Sasuke nodded, acknowledging her earlier observation and watched as the car's engine turned off and the driver's door open.

Stepping out, Sakura immediately recognized the bazaar blond hair that stuck out multiple of places and as he turned, his striking bright blue eyes met hers. She raised a hand up and waved at Naruto as he closed his door and started walking towards them, holding his key up and pressing the button to lock his car doors automatically.

"Hey," Naruto greeted as he closed the distance, and grabbed Sakura's hand, "How are you Sakura?"

Sakura nodded, pulling her hand out of his, giving him a quick smile, "I'm well, thanks and you?"

"Absolutely fine." Naruto returned her smile and turned to Sasuke, only to give him a disapproving shake of his head. "I see that Sasuke didn't come on his own will."

Sasuke scowled, giving Naruto a playful glare and turned around, crossing his arms, "You didn't have a problem with that when you came over."

Naruto rolled his eyes as Sakura chuckled at the two. It was sort of nice hearing two best of friends argue about such stupid nonsense. It was quite funny to Sakura and Naruto had noticed as he made up with Sasuke. "Are you ready, big man? Tonight is your show."

Sasuke sighed and nodded off, stepping forward and the reluctantly gave up resisting and receded to the entrance steps. Sakura watched, raising a confused brow. "What's up with him?"

Naruto shook his head, "Oh, you didn't know? Sasuke had a big debut since the… accident and the week before, he just made quits on a huge trial. Sasuke doesn't like to talk about. He especially doesn't tell me about the deets, or his cases so don't get any idea asking me."

Sakura swallowed, hoping to hear some late court rumors involving Sasuke's cases but Naruto didn't budge and she had thought Naruto knew but he didn't spill because he respected Sasuke as Sasuke would do the same.

"I suppose…" Sakura breathed out and pushed back a lock of hair that fell and distracted her attention, "I didn't know Sasuke was this rich, well… owning a huge corporation and yet, living in a normal house and a normal life. It kind of feels strange now that I think he must be a very big and important person."

Naruto scrunched his forehead in wonderment and amazed Sakura by shaking his head sadly, "It's all deals. Sasuke inherited this business from his grandfather whom was a gambler and a pool dealer but Sasuke used this building as one of his important careers of being a lawyer. Of course, he didn't give up his grandfather's dream."

Sakura and Naruto walked up the steps and towards the entrance doors before Naruto paused and squinted to the sky. It was a hue of dark blue and it looked like it was going to rain any time now.

"What about you then?" Sakura began, eyeing Naruto's empty hands. "What do you have to do with Sasuke's career? Or perhaps this building?"

"Plenty." Naruto inched towards the double doors and grabbed one handle, "Being a bouncer comes in handy especially when an old friend comes from long-a-ways and needs assistance."

Sakura cocked her head to the side and shoot Naruto a confused look, "Old friend?"

Naruto waved her off with his other hand as he pulled the door open, "Sorry Sakura, I have to go now. We can continue this conversation later."

Sakura nodded in understanding and shooed Naruto off to his agenda. As the door closed slowly, Sakura backed away and turned around to look up at the gloomy sky. She lowered her eyes and came to the conclusion that she couldn't head back to Sasuke's place or else she'd get lost and that she'd wait for Sasuke's meeting to end.

After an hour and a half passed, Sakura sat nestled under the bus shelter, waiting for a certain person to come out and join her. At that moment, Sakura wished she had a car to drive, but back at home, she didn't need one. She could get around town quite easily than a car could. She could go through short cuts and narrow areas where a car couldn't. But here in the city, it was simply impossible for her to get around. She was lost every way she looked. She wasn't used to the city, she was familiar with roads at home, in the country side.

Thinking of home made her homesick, and what made her stomach flip was how an image of her parents flamed her mind. Her eyes began to dull and her mouth slacked, just thinking of her parents made her sick. They hadn't been home since a year ago. At first she understood they went off to attend a camp across seas and would be expected back less than three months. But they never showed up, they never came to see Sakura, they never came home. She didn't receive any letters or heard anything besides the organization growing bigger and wider. Sakura began to grow lonely, and after six months had passed, she almost gave up on her parents.

Jumping up from her seat, she grew anxious to see someone or anything to distract her from remembering the past. She walked out the shelter and towards Sasuke's building only to pause, feeling the pitter patter of rain drops on her head. She looked up towards the sky and squinted. Making sure it was rain and not some bird's dropping, she made her way up the stairs and through the entrance doors.

Inside was dry, and homier than she'd expected. Two stands with two vases of flowers stood on either side of the doors where Sakura stood. She stepped forward, her eyes traveling around the office. The building was wide and yet busier than outside. Sakura took another step forward, wandering to her left. On her left, a couple of rooms were offices occupied by a couple of employees, rearranging files. Another office room was outside the file room, and an elder employee sat behind a desk, eyeing the clients being seated around the room. Sakura turned her attention to the right. The area was frankly almost empty besides a few families seating themselves and watching a preview on the screen TV connected to the wall. She eyed the room, and closed in on a magazine rack and above the shelf was a reflected tint window in which she knew most interrogated rooms have.

Walking further into the building, she walked up to the main desk where a receptionist sat from behind, finishing up a call. Sakura eyed the receptionist's name tag which spelt out in bolded letters, 'Erin'.

As Erin brought the phone down on the connector, she turned her attention to her computer and started typing in information and didn't bother to insist Sakura as she waited there patiently.

"Er, excuse me." Sakura gave a small cough, leaning towards the desk.

"Don't touch the desk." Erin spoke, reaching into her desk and pulling out a pack of gum. Pulling out one, she took the gum out of its wrapper and popped it into her mouth and then recedes back to typing on the computer.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but—" Sakura started again, hoping to ask for directions to Sasuke's office.

"Hiro!" Erin swung around, and shouted towards the left hall, startling Sakura who gave a little jump. She blew out a big bubble and popped it then turned around to see Sakura staring at her, lost. "You're still here?"

"Uh, yes," Sakura muttered and fidgeted with her hands, tangling her fingers to stop being so shy in front of the receptionist. "I was wondering if you can direct—"

"Wait." Erin popped another bubble, holding a finger up silencing Sakura once again. She pulled away, turning her head the direction of the left hall again and yelled out a name Sakura wasn't familiar with. "Hurry your butt here, you have a customer!"

"Oh, no! I'm not a customer…" Sakura waved her hands in front of her, "I just need directions, actually."

"The third door from down the right hall." Erin rolled her eyes back to the computer, "You'll find it easily."

Sakura stood there dumbfounded and tilted her head in puzzlement. "Excuse me?"

"Look lady, I don't have all day. Do you have to go or not?" Erin snapped, chewing ferociously on her piece of gum.

Sakura shook her head, "No, I just wanted to see Sasuke."

Everything seemed to go quiet after Sakura's words left her lips. Erin sat there, an expression mixed with being taken aback and yet not surprised. She slowed her chewing and blew a bubble, letting it deflate on its own. Sakura glanced from the girl in front of her to both sides, wondering why she was being so quiet.

"So, let me get this straight…" Erin began, "You came here asking for directions to see Sasuke?"

Sakura hesitated but knowing it was a stupid reason, she nodded. Erin 'uh-huh' and reached for the phone receiver and brought it to her ear. She pressed a few buttons and waited. Sakura waited.

"Hiro?" Erin's voice drew out smoothly, "Don't have me hanging here. You know 'wondering' and 'directions' aren't in my vocabulary, so get your butt back in here. Got it?"

Sakura leaned back, wanting to roll her eyes at the receptionist; she knew she would get no where. She decided to wait otherwise, and if she couldn't get any help, she'd just have to wait… or maybe, bother Erin a bit more.

Erin hung up and rolled her chair back, and bent to retrieve a file of papers clipped together. She then straightened up and handed them to Sakura, "Here, knock yourself out."

Sakura's eyes almost bulged but her expression was nonetheless confused on why she was handed a huge stack of papers. She glanced from the big pile in her hands to Erin who sat there, examining her nails and popping her gum in boredom. Sakura turns her head, looking down the right hallway and then down the left hallway. She then turns back to Erin and leans over the desk. "Uh, what are these?"

"Requests."

"For what?" Sakura asked, clearly not getting what the receptionist said. She gave Sakura a dull look and obviously she thought Sakura must have been stupid to not realize the hint.

"Can't you read?" Erin motioned to the cover, "You have to explain why you want to see Sasuke."

Sakura took a moment before looking up again from the pile, "They're request forms to see Sasuke?"

"Look, you asked and I answered your question. Fill out the appointment you want and join the club. He's a very busy man; he doesn't have time for useless girls, unlike you, to ogle at him every chance you get."

Sakura's lip fell in offense. How **dare** this girl think she was one of those side line girls, those wanabe's who wants to get close to a famous celebrity despite it being Sasuke Uchiha? Might as well have mistaken her as a prostitute instead!

"I see you've taken cared of it." A new voice interrupted the glaring contest between Sakura and Erin. "Well then, I'll be going first."

Erin gasped and lurched forward, grabbing a fistful of coat fur, "Oh no you don't mister! First you ditched me and second you left me dealing with your customer— take responsibility!"

Sakura's eyes lowered to a short man dressed in a purple fur coat. Sakura raised a brow and wondered when he had appeared and without her knowing? Seeing that Hiro was staring back at Sakura, she couldn't help but size him… down.

"Do you have an appointment with Mr. Uchiha?" Hiro spoke, leaning against the desk in which Erin spoke so rudely at Sakura not to even touch her desk, "Are you a family or relative?"

Sakura shook her head, "I'm a close friend though."

"That's what they all say." Erin muttered, letting out a haughty laugh. Hiro turned back at Erin and they seemed to communicate with their eyes because he doesn't once look at Sakura after interrogating her with basic questions.

"Well then, the only possible thing to do is," Hiro walked around the desk and jabbed Erin with his finger as she gave him a nasty look, "…hand me the phone, would you, Erin? Thank you. Don't give me that look, punch it in. You know who!"

Sakura watched the dialogue happening in front of her, somewhat amused and somewhat vexing all at the same time. Hiro tapped his foot, waiting for the call to go through. Suddenly, a loud bang rings down the right corridor and Hiro jumps in anguish, "Oh my!"

He hangs up immediately and runs around the desk, poking his head out to check what had happened. Nothing out of the ordinary, Sakura observed, just a lady pushing a cart down the corridor and tripped.

"Sir," Sakura looked down, "Did you get a hold of Sasuke?"

"That's Mr. Uchiha to you," Hiro cleared his throat, sending a stern glare to Sakura, "But as you can see, he is busy at the moment."

"Do you know when he will be done with his meeting?" Sakura asked, pursuing her mission and looked around the room for a clock.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you'll have to leave." Hiro said, motioning Sakura to the door, "We have no business with strangers."

Sakura didn't budge. How could this man be so rude to her? She was just being polite and asked them if they knew when Sasuke's meeting would be done. Was that too much to ask? Geez! She took the pile and dropped it loudly on Erin's desk, letting the papers fly and scatter about, surprising Erin.

Sakura placed her hands on her hips and glowered down at the said man, "Pardon? I'm not too sure Mr. _Uchiha_ would be so keen to hear that he has two rude and pathetic employees running the first floor."

"They sure go through great lengths to get what they want, mm?" Erin growled at Sakura for making a mess.

Sakura felt her cheeks boil. Upset, Sakura runs her hands against her pockets and felt a block, wondering what it was until the idea came to mind. She whipped her head down and took her phone out.

"We'll see about that!" Sakura snickered and opened her phone, made a quick text before sending it to Sasuke.

_Sent: Sasuke 3 (heart)_

_From: Sakura _

_Text: You need to have a small talk with your employees about managing clients and controlling their rude remarks. Maybe you can fix their attitudes before hiring them again._

Sakura backed further onto the desk, and leaned her butt on the edge of the table. Erin gapes and yelled at Sakura to get her big butt off or else she'd call security. Hiro seemed astonished and yet, profoundly disturbed at the same time. Sakura rolls her eyes at their childishness and waits until she feels her phone vibrating.

_Sent: Sakura_

_From: Sasuke 3 (heart)_

_Text: Again? Does that mean you're firing them for me?_

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_Sent: Sasuke 3 (heart)_

_From: Sakura _

_Text: Yes. Please! They. Need. 2. GO!_

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_Sent: Sakura_

_From: Sasuke 3 (heart)_

_Text: Let them know I'll be down there soon to have a talk. _

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_Sent: Sasuke 3 (heart)_

_From: Sakura_

_Text: Gladly. P.S. – When will you be doneeee? I'm BORED! _

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Sakura leaps from her desk and spins around, flashing them a devious smile, "BTW, you're fired," turning to Erin and then turned to Hiro, "and you're fired. Love **Sasuke**!"

Sakura held up her phone, showing the text from afar. Erin and Hiro glared dangerously at Sakura hoping she was kidding but seeing that she wasn't, they immediately started thinking of an alibi.

"Did you see _that_ heart?" Hiro nodded off to Sakura's phone and whispered harsh words to Erin in return.

Sakura stood up, straightening herself to look presentable and then started walking to the exit. She didn't bother turning around, she was done with her job and she wanted them to feel their own bitter medicine. She wondered what Sasuke would say to them, hopefully to embarrass them and make them realize their own actions effects others greatly. How ironic, because when she started thinking about that phrase, she had also done the same thing. Bzzt!

_Sent: Sakura_

_From: Sasuke 3 (heart)_

_Text: Soon._

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Sakura walks out and stands under the building's roof. It has been raining hard ever since she stayed inside waiting for some news from Sasuke to reach her ears but sadly, there hadn't been until she texted him.

Time past, and Sakura felt like it had been hours but when she looked back on her phone, it had only been thirty minutes, nothing more and nothing less. Sakura coughed, wrapping her arms around herself and shivered from the cold. When she breathed out, she swore she almost saw her breath. Is she catching a cold?

The heavy rain had decreased and it was only soft rain drops coming down, the streets pitter-pattering about, like dancing tins. Sakura's eyes twinkled with amazement as she scurried down the stairs and hurried to the bus shelter.

Once she got there, she sat down in a huff and fought back a cough. Her eyes closed and when she re-opened them, she met dark sea-cobalt eyes staring back in her olive orbs. She let out a small gasp as her hand flew to her chest.

Naruto lets go a sheepish grin, and scratches the back of his head, "Sorry about that, Sakura. I was going to wake you, because it's not healthy for a girl to be sitting out here in the cold, and nonetheless, in the rain."

Sakura shook her head, "It's not raining."

"Was," Naruto looked back around, at the wet streets as Sakura secret stifled a cough before Naruto turned back around, "Can I give you a lift back home?"

Sakura blinked her eyes multiple of times, to blare herself awake, and smiled softly at Naruto, "No, it's alright. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Because I have a nice car with a warm heater to warm you up." Naruto persisted, placing his hand over hers and winced at how cold it was. "Sakura? How long were you sitting out here for?"

Sakura gave Naruto a blank look and held in a cough that she so deeply wish she could let out but dared not to. It burned her throat and she felt like she was going to suffocate either way, "Not long." She lied.

Instead, she breathed in deeply like her life depended on it and soothed the cough away along with the small pain that etched deep in her throat. Naruto didn't look convinced but he took her bait anyway.

"Sorry for taking so long." Naruto crouched at Sakura's level and placed both his hands in hers, warming hers as well as trading the cold hands to him, "Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me tomorrow for lunch around my hometown. I'd like to show you around, if you don't mind." Naruto looked at Sakura with big eyes, hoping she'd considered his request.

Sakura's face brightens up and she nods, "Sure, new experiences are always on my agenda."

Hearing those words, Naruto smiles from ear to ear and leaps forward, crushing Sakura into a big bear hug. Sakura wraps her arms around Naruto in return, patting his back reassuringly. A flash of black sweeps through the entrance doors and Sakura is quickly reminded of Sasuke. "And Sasuke?"

Naruto pulls away and with a shake of his head, "He's going to be really busy so he won't have time to hang with us. Sorry if that busted your bubble. Don't worry though, I'll protect you! I am a bouncer and a bodyguard, after all."

Sakura gives him a small smile even though inside, she may think all was said is true and yet it stabbed at her to decline the invitation, but her mind already settled on the agreement and there was no going back. No excuses why she couldn't attend lunch with Naruto. After all, what could happen? They were just friends…

"What are you guys talking about?" A new but familiar voice arrived, his presence standing in between the space of the duo.

"I was just apologizing to Sakura about how long the meeting was." Naruto laughed, pulling out a business card and handing it to Sakura before standing up and clapping a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. He turned around to head to his car when he remembered, "Oh! Sakura, don't forget!"

"What's that?" Sasuke asked eyeing the card Naruto gave to Sakura who thrust it into her pocket for safe keeping. Sakura stands up, giving him a small smile and shrugs, "Ready?"

He glances back as Naruto revved his car and reversed out of the parking lot. He shot a grin out his window before driving away. Sasuke stared off, giving him a short shake of his head and a scowl that made it to his lips before the words made it to his mind, _what is he up to?_

They started off, walking the way they came from earlier. They talked and paced through the streets. It was getting darker than any usual night and Sakura was getting worried that she wouldn't make it home that night but then Sasuke's words rang into her mind that she'd be staying the night at his house until tomorrow. Because _the house would be dead without her_. Sakura coughed and wheezed the slight pain in her chest.

Heading into Sasuke's neighborhood, they passed by a family watching form their porches as children from other houses ran and jumped in puddles in the rain boots. Out of the blue, Sakura trips over a man hole, letting out a small cry.

And as Sakura was falling, she didn't meet the ground, the wet, dirty ground. She was swept into a pair of strong, warm arms, holding her tightly and brought her back to her feet. Sakura places a hand against her mouth and blows hot air onto her hand. She retreated, turning her back to Sasuke and walked on, sputtering a thank-you.

As they reached his house, Sasuke rummaged to open the gate and Sakura found herself teetering off course, her mind a fuzz and seeing one of the children running and jumping into puddles made her have a headache. She swallowed a huge lump but it felt like it was pushing back up, and she was stuck. She felt like the ground was sucking her feet to the roots and that she was numb all over. Her ears popped and it felt so strange, she felt so sick. If she doesn't move, she thought, it'd be better to not move at all.

_Sakura!_


	13. Chapter 13

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

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A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing Chapter 12! Means a lot to me! Please do the same to this story (Oh! And if you have to criticize, minus the foul words, thanks!) I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, but being a senior and a graduate is busy work…

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Morning caved in through the blinds, shaking off Sakura's mood of not getting enough sleep but who could blame her? She awoke with a start and looked around, confused. This wasn't her room, and this definitely wasn't her bed. What was going on? She thought. Placing a hand to her head, she felt her dizziness go away in a matter of seconds. Yawning, she sat up, pushing the heavy blanket to the side due to the heat even before noticing her skin. _Skin! _On instant, she reached over and yanked the covers to her chest, her head whipping side to side in alert. Who would have the decency to take her clothes off without her knowing? She swallowed. She could feel her heart pound against her chest and how her mind was swelled with questions. _Sasuke._ The answer was quick in her mind, and she felt almost embarrassed despite the flipping motion in her gut.

_Hey hey, you you_

_I want to be your girlfriend_

_No way, no way_

_Think you need a new one!_

Jumping, Sakura made note it was only her phone's ringtone for unknown calls. She reached over, carefully taking the phone into her hand and flipped the cover. As she expected, it was an unknown receiver. She hesitated and then pressed send.

"Hello?" She breathed into the phone, her other hand gripping the blanket to her chest.

"Sakura?" A deep voice answered on the other end, "It's Naruto!"

Sakura breathed out a sigh of relief and pulled the phone closer to her and smiled, "Hey, what's up?"

"I was thinking about where you wanted to have lunch at? I wasn't sure because you might be allergic to some foods, so I just wanted to make sure and call you before we head out." His voice was light and a tinge of excitement was held at the tip.

Sakura let out a little laugh and shook her head in emphasis, "No, no I'm not allergic to anything edible."

"Well that's good!" Naruto exclaimed and laughed as well. After he settled down, they made small talk and before they hung up to get ready, he asked her where she might want to eat at.

"Surprise me!" Sakura grinned and leaned back into the pillows, her eyes watching her closed door.

"Alright-y, I'll come pick you up then!" Naruto replied with happiness, "See you in forty."

Sakura hung up and jumped out of bed with a fresh mind. She skipped to her closet and slid the door open revealing black jeans and collar shirts hanging. Remembering her earlier confused state, she gaped and looked down. This time, she wasn't nude, as she thought she was. She was in her underclothes, but for some reason, they felt uncomfortably light and thin. Sakura shook her head, a worried look written across her face. Closing the closet door shut, she walked back to the bed and sat on the edge.

What happened last night, Sakura thought, how come I don't remember much?

Sakura breathes out a slow yawn and lies down on the bed, stretching her arms above her head and her legs in mid air. Her eyes roamed across the ceiling and she almost felt right at home. She turned and scooted towards the plumped pillow and felt the dampness. But it wasn't the touch that caught her attention; it was the scent that brought her back to where she was. _Sasuke's room!_

Sakura jumped out of bed, tugged the bed sheet to her body and skipped towards the door. She flung it open but caught it before it banged on the wall. She stuck her head out and observed the empty hallway; no sound was made except her breathing. She stepped back in the room and closed the door. She began to walk but the blanket was wrenched back. She gaped and swiftly turned her focus on the sheet that was caught between the wedge of the door and the frame. Suddenly, Sakura opened the door and yanked the sheet in and then slammed it shut with a click.

Sakura then walks to the messy bed and shakes her head, wrapping the bed sheet around her and places her hand on the bed rail, thinking of many things including why she isn't dressed. Shaking her head, she pulls the messy covers off the bed and to her surprise, spots her clothes wrinkled but pushed to the end of the bed.

Snatching the remaining of her clothes, she quickly pulls on her shirt and afterwards, tugs on her jeans. Once she was dressed, she dropped onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. The circles that embedded on the roof entertained her eyes as each swirl caught her fascination. After awhile, she looks over the bedside and glances at the clock, two minutes has passed and Naruto will be picking her up very soon.

_I'm not even at home. _The thought bounces against the walls of Sakura's brain. She squeezes her eyes shut before a thought crosses her mind, the deliberated notion of a suggestion that she wished she hadn't thought. _Was I raped? _Sakura thought.

Her eyes flew open and she jumped from the bed, only to trip over the covers that was slumped on the side of the bed. Sakura sighs and shakes her head. An uncomfortable silence engulfs the room as Sakura sat there staring at the bed. Sighing once again, she stands and brushes herself off before picking up the left over bed sheets.

Walking around the bed she spreads the sheets and pulls it up, letting it hover in mid air and then whaps it down, blowing the wrinkles away and repeats it before doing the same thing to the inner sheets. She then goes to the bed and reaches over to the damp pillows and drop them on the ground next to the TV stand. Reaching over, she grabs the sheets and spreads them over exposed bed and carefully covers it, pulling the edges tightly in place.

Sakura reaches up and brushes a loose strand of pink hair aside and side glances at the clock that read ten minutes before the time she will be picked up. Sakura swallowed as her mind raced to her house and a thought rushed forward— she never gave Naruto her home address. Does he know that she was staying with Sasuke?

After tidying the room, she skips to the door and opens it. Peering out, she was met with silence. The only audit sound she heard was her own breathing. Sakura's brows creased, as questions ran through her mind. Where was Sasuke? Was he already at work? Or is he still sleeping? Sakura stepped out and strolled to the end of the hall, knocking lightly on each door, hoping that Sasuke would be in either of them. She listened closely but heard nothing. After a few knocks on the last door, she turned to walk back to Sasuke's room, but stopped when she heard rasped breathing inside.

"Sasuke?" Sakura called out, "Are you in there?"

No response.

Sakura waited but no one came to the door. Maybe she was imagining it; she thought to herself and shook her head lightly. She sighed and knocked again, "Well, if you're in there. I'm heading out for a bit. I promised Naruto I'd go with him to his hometown. If you need me, don't hesitate to call me."

She took a step back and waited again. Still, there was no reply. Lowering her eyes to her feet, she trudged back to Sasuke's room and walked to the stand. "Maybe it was my imagination." Sakura whispered. _Besides, Sasuke's a good guy, _Sakura thinks, _right?_

Just then, Sakura's phone goes off once again, startling Sakura out of the blue. She answered with a high pitch, "Slow down. What is it?"

The other end was muffled with constant breaths into the speaker as Sakura tries to interpret the jumble of words. "Naruto, it's alright. I'll just meet you at the station, okay? Uh, yes and no. What? Oh, uh, I stayed at a friend's house. …Yeah, I'll meet you there. Okay!" Sakura hangs up and blows a loose lock away from her eyes.

Sakura then goes outside into the hall, closing Sasuke's door with a click and then skips down the stairs and into the kitchen, to see if Sasuke had left her a note. Once she got down there, she crossed over to the living room and passed the little doorway that leads into the kitchen. No note. Nothing that was hung, taped to the fridge or placed on the counter or table that reads Sasuke had gone anywhere without telling her so.

Then again, Sakura thinks, why should he? We've just began to know each other a week ago. A dark cloud invaded her mind as she silently groans for even thinking of such. Her eyes slowly close at the memory and mumbles a bitter word, a name, one syllable. _Sai._

"Has it been that long?" Sakura's lips moved but no words were said out loud. She reopens her eyes and gazes at the empty chairs set at the square table. Light streamed through the blinds and she remembers the day she sat on that chair with Sasuke sitting from across her, staring at her while she ate. How peaceful it was with him, she felt happy at the thought which made her grab at the hem of her collar shirt, from within her heart fluttered with a silent beat.

She turns on her heels and walks out the kitchen to the front foyer and sits on the step to put on her shoes. After making sure her shoe laces were intact, she stood up and brushed the dust off her bottom before glancing up the stairs and whispering a goodbye to no one in particular. Or so she thought.

Exiting the house, she opens the gate and closes it from behind before walking down the neighborhood she had walked with Sasuke yesterday. Giving some thought, she crosses path with a two mothers walking along the sidewalk while keeping an eye on their children.

"Oh, you're the girl from yesterday!" One mother replied, placing a hand onto her cheek.

Sakura on the other hand, stops and tilts her head at the said woman in confusion, "Excuse me?"

"Are you feeling alright, miss?" The other woman asked, laying a hand on the first woman's shoulder.

Sakura exchanges look between the two women in front of her, wondering what they were talking about, and thought they probably had the wrong girl. "I'm fine, thank you."

"Oh that's good to hear." The first woman said, "After seeing you collapse, Uchiha san was so kind to take you in."

_Do they know_? Sakura's eyes widened at the thought.

Mistaking her reaction as a good sign, the second woman nodded her head and smiled softly, "Well it's good to hear you're back on your feet. Thank goodness!"

Sakura nodded feverishly and apologized for the inconvenience, "I'm not too familiar where I am. If you could direct me to the nearest station, I'd appreciate it."

"Oh darling, it's not too far from here." The second woman waved her hand and nodded straight ahead, "We're heading that way too, if you'd like to join us."

"Oh, really?" Sakura blinked, her face breaking into a smile, "Um, thank you. I will."

"Sakira, Ash," The first mother called to her children as Sakura snapped her attention; mistaking her name to the mother's child. "Let's go, stop jumping in those puddles, you'll get your shoes wet."

"Same goes with you Airy, Alec. Hurry those feet and come here." The second mother called behind her. She glanced up at Sakura who was in her own little zone and giggled, "Shall we?"

Sakura blinked and veered around, facing the huddled children to her left. They began to walk down the block, the children playing hand games while they walked as the two mothers continued to talk with Sakura.

As they neared the last block to the station, Sakura was so absentminded that she felt bad for not hearing most of what the two women were discussing with her about. She swallowed, hoping they hadn't noticed her awkward state.

"Is this your destination?" The second mother asked. Sakura gave her a questioning glanced. The woman motioned to her face, "It looks like you're looking for someone."

Sakura mentally slapped herself for not even noticing her own actions, "Oh yes, sorry. I'm actually waiting for a friend to pick me up."

"Well don't worry too much, this is a safe station." Alec, the little boy said. He looked up at Sakura, his big brown oval eyes shining brightly at her, "Just watch out for perverts!"

"That doesn't even make sense!" Airy shouted, his hands spread out in frustration, "You said this is a safe station and there are perverts here?"

Sakura couldn't help but crack a smile at their childishness. She shook her head and patted the two boy's heads, "Don't worry. I won't go near those perverts. Look, I won't even ride the train."

The two boys ducked their heads as their faces turned crimson and chimed together, "Okay!"

"Well, good luck." The second mother smiled, "I hope who you're looking for is—"

"LOOK!" Sakira exclaimed, her finger pointed at a flashy car driving up to the curb.

The window rolled down as the motor revved and a face appeared from inside. The mother's words were forgotten as Sakura stared at those bright blue eyes, the big smile settled in relief as he nodded at her to get in.

Sakura turned and bowed slightly, "Thank you for showing me the way. This is my friend who is here to pick me up."

"NO WAY!" The boys shouted and fanned over the car's features. Sakira and her brother, Ash smiled at each other as if they had shared a secret. Sakura walked over to the car and brought her hand to the door's handle.

"Bye!" The children yelled in unison, their happy faces framed wide and bright. Sakura waved as she opened the door and got in.

While on the way down the interstate, trees blurred and the old-film of the sun blinked on and off after each tree. Sakura turned her attention to the driver whom looked beyond happy. "Did you get lost?" Sakura asked, eyeing the front of the room.

"Nah," Naruto cleared his throat, "I know every street, place, time like the back of my hand."

"I bet you don't know everyone like the back of your hand." Sakura shot Naruto a grin, and laughed at his expression, "Didn't see that coming now did you?"

"I must admit," Naruto breathed out and shook his head, "Epic fail."

Naruto drove on, swinging around the fenced mountain as a couple cars passed up suit. Naruto glanced in the rear mirror and then put the stick on reverse and drove behind a car on the right lane and then placed the stick back on drive. Sakura held onto the door's secured handle and whipped her head to Naruto who grinned like a goofball.

"Showing off, are we?" Sakura breathed out a shaky breath.

Naruto glanced at her in the mirror, "Sorry, it was intended."

Sakura shook her head and relaxed back into her seat. Reaching down, she found the back rest button and moved it back to a diagonal resting position. "So you live up in the mountains?"

"No," Naruto reached over, and turned up the volume to the radio and pressed 1 where a certain beat was playing, "Not quite."

"Another city?" Sakura guessed, looking out Naruto's window beyond the fenced cliff and watched as they furthered away from the city and trees.

Naruto turned a corner and drove onto the left lane, letting a semi truck pass him, "Nope. There are no cities where I come from."

"So you live in the rural side of town?" Sakura asked, consciously grabbing a hold of the safety handle.

They reared the end of the mountain and drove into the tunnel that goes through the mountain. Tiny bulbs of light shot over the passageway as Naruto drove on, staying in his lane. Sakura had to close her eyes and drown out the colorful spots blocking her vision. Once they were out of the tunnel, they remained quiet for some time until Naruto spoke.

"More like walking into Narnia, except it's the forestry I'm referring to."

"Oh good," Sakura sighed, pressing a hand to her chest, dramatically. "I was about to suggest a cave."

"Oh yes, imagine me living in a cave most of my civilized life, even a caveman can do it." Naruto grinned and then frowned, "Oh boy, do you think they'll be angry at me for saying it?"

Sakura shook her head and laugh, "Only if you intended it to be that way." Sakura reached over and brushed her finger nail on the window, and looked out as they passed another corner. "It must be hard for you, right?"

"For what?"

"Being away from home for so long." Sakura said, her eyes lowering to her lap. "Or are you used to being alone?"

Naruto glanced at Sakura's sadden expression and shook his head, "Not really. I had a life back in my hometown but that was years ago. Ever since I moved to the city and met Sasuke in the University we went to three years ago, I couldn't be thankful enough."

Sakura's cheek tingled as she felt heat rushed to her cheeks at the mention of Sasuke's name. What was so special about Sasuke that she couldn't, at the moment, name? Sakura looked out the window again and saw the reflection of Naruto's eyes darting from the road ahead to her.

"Why is that?" Sakura muttered, and tangled her fingers into her hair, brushing it out, "Do you love Sasuke more than your family at home? More than yourself?"

"It's not a contest, Sakura chan." Naruto focused back onto the road ahead as he swerved the car ahead of another slow car, "In the matter of speaking, Sasuke is like a brother to me, another member of my family. He provided me a lot of opportunities that I didn't take seriously at the time but then he really landed me this job of a bouncer slash body guard and I'm really thankful he drove me to take it." Turning a right and slowed to a stop at the clearing, no cars had passed on the road for miles or days. "Without him, I wouldn't know what to do with myself other than waste my life away eating cups of ramen and playing video games."

Sakura nodded, understandingly. Naruto drove on and entered at a forest entrance. There were no road signs and no path to be directed around. Naruto parked the car and shut off the engine, before turning his full attention to Sakura, "Ready?"

Giving a nod, they climbed out the car and Naruto led the way through the woods.

X

X

X

Walking out to a clearing, Naruto and Sakura were faced with a big, tall wall that wrapped itself for miles wide. Sakura's eyes almost bulged from the sight; she didn't think Naruto was born in a fortress— after all, she has only read books that included having fortresses and high towers in them that she'd imagined herself as a princess waiting and hoping that one day her prince would come and rescue her. Of course, that was way before she had even met Sai and even during their years of "dating", not once did he ever meant anything towards her. Nothing but a smirk pasted on his face, and she can't forget his vocabulary. _You ugly, get off of me!_

Sakura sighed at the memory. Naruto coughed, pulling Sakura out of her little world and focusing onto her surroundings. They were now standing in the entrance way of the big gates. Two guards were dressed in dark clothes and they were standing on each side of the gate, holding spears for protection. Sakura doesn't mention to share her questions that were piling up in her mind. She was too awed to even ask.

Naruto stepped forward, his foot kicking the gate. Sakura thought the guards would have flinched by how loud and how hard the gateway strangled from the impact. "State your name and purpose." The guard on the right ordered, whipping his weapon towards them. His eyes held no kindness and his expression was blank with suspicion.

Naruto didn't even flinch but had the nerve to ignore the order and kick the gate again, "Why are the doors locked? It's usually opened to visitors."

"We aren't permitted to answer your question." The guard on the left stepped forward, his spear pointed at Naruto's chest. Sakura's lips parted and a gasp was caught in her throat.

"Do you know who I am?" Naruto lifted his hand and pushed the spear away from his body. The right hand guard stepped forward, swiping his spear in front of Naruto's face. Sakura stepped forward, her eyes widened in fright that they might hurt Naruto. She grabbed his arm which made Naruto's mouth twitch.

"State your name and purpose." The guard said once again, "We are not permitted to let anyone in unless they do so."

"It's alright," Sakura whispered to Naruto, with urgency in her tone, "We can come back another time. Maybe they won't be here then."

Naruto didn't move or turn to acknowledge Sakura and continued to stare down at the left guard who dared to point his spear at him. "I asked you, do you know who I am?"

"No, but we will ask you to leave if you do not choose to participate to our instructions." The guard said, pointing the spear at Naruto's chest again, urging him to back off, "Then we won't have to bother to know who you are."

The other guard chuckled as if his partner had made a joke, which clearly he intended it to sound that way. Naruto snorted, "Funny, I don't remember that being a rule here."

Sakura gripped Naruto's arm and ushered his to turn his attention to her. She kept at it until he glanced back at her, a playful grin dancing on his lips, "Naruto, I don't think they'll back off just because you intimidated them. We can come back later; it's not too late to turn back, is it?"

"It is." Naruto replied, "Sakura chan, I didn't come all the way here to show nothing of my hometown. Within these walls, is my home and from generation to generation, these homes were built by my ancestors. This isn't child-play, this is historic! These men," directing his tone towards the two men in front of him, "they're trained to kill… not with guns, but with woodened swords and pointed arrow heads."

Sakura didn't smile when he joked about their weapons, she didn't think it was funny even if Naruto provoked the two men who were still standing there, listening to everything Naruto had said. "We're not intruders, Sakura chan. We're just here to visit. That is all."

Naruto turned back to the two men, and asked now with a serious tone fitted to be a dictator leader, "Who is your boss?"

"That's invalid." The guard said again, "We are not permitted to give out such information to outsiders."

"He's not an outsider!" Sakura spoke, glaring at the said man, "He was born here."

The guards ignored the said girl and continued to warn Naruto or else he'd be in big trouble. Naruto also persisted to bug the said guards, asking them silly questions regarding the village. Sakura began to get fed up with this little ritual that was happening in front of her. Each cancellation the guards preferred to them irked her mind and she wanted so badly to smack the two guards upside the head for being so rude.

_Excuse me!_

Apparently, the ignorant guards became aware of the small voice that reached everyone's ears. They turned their attention to a girl with long black hair pulled up into a bun and two locks hanging down on each side of her oval face. Their faces paled and they jerked to attention, hanging their heads in respect.

"Madam Hyuuga!" They both chimed, shame written across their face.

She stood, her head tilted to the side in confusion. She glanced at the two that stood there, waiting to see what would happen. Then, with her violet eyes meeting with sharp cobalt eyes, the corner of her lips curved upwards. "It's nice to see you again, Naruto kun."

_Kun?_ Sakura's eyes shifted to Naruto's then back to the said girl. _Is this girl Naruto's childhood friend, nonetheless, fond of him?_ Sakura inched backwards out of comfort; she didn't want to be a bother between the two acquaintances. She watched as Naruto's face turned from surprise to happy.

Naruto stepped forward; his hands spread out and hugged the said girl without hesitance. "Hinata chan! It's so nice to see you!"

Hinata didn't moved but welcome the physical contact from the said boy and smiled politely and longingly but not enough to be noticed by Sakura, whom turned away awkwardly. "Naruto kun, who's your friend?"

Naruto released Hinata and pulled her towards Sakura, grabbing a hold of Sakura's hand.

"Hinata, this is Sakura chan and Sakura chan, this is Hinata chan. She's my childhood playmate."

Sakura bowed her head in respect, "It's nice to meet you, Hinata chan."

"Likewise." Hinata spoke; her voice so strong was very surprising to Sakura since Hinata is so petite. Her hands were outstretched to her in a shake, her fingers were small and it almost made Sakura's face blush in cutesy. Sakura shook hands with her and gave a small smile in return. "Welcome to Konoha."

Hinata turned her head to the two guards and gave them an innocent but serious look, "Why aren't the doors open?"

The right guard's face flushed and stuttered with ability, "Uh, we were told by Hyuuga sama not to let in strangers if they seemed like a threat."

"We were told to only let them in if they gave us their name and purpose regarding Konoha." The left guard butted in, earning a glance as well from Hinata.

"I see." Hinata spoke; her voice was smooth like silk. She let out a little giggle, "But, I'm also in command here. So, I say open these doors to Konoha's visitors, especially our _citizens_."

The guards flinched and turn their heads away in fright. Sakura bit her lip, hearing the hard tone Hinata used towards the two guards and felt her heart twinge in anxiety. Naruto grinned, "Aw, Hinata, you're so cute!"

Hinata paused, and stared at the barred gate and then chuckled, shooting Naruto a shy glance. "Is that intentional?"

Sakura swallowed as Naruto patted Hinata's shoulder and laughed with gentleness. If only Sasuke was here with her would she be at ease, and not feeling awkward between the two childhood friends. What was so important that Sasuke had to miss this? He probably didn't want to go with her anyway because he must have come here often with Naruto. Sakura sulked but didn't show her disappointed expression. Sakura walked around the two and took a step towards the right guard.

"Do _I_ look like a **threat** to you?" Sakura spat and glowered at the guard, sending a scary vibe between her and the two guards. She felt the presence of Naruto and Hinata behind her, watching.

"No ma'am." The guard squeaked out, shifting his standing position. Sakura watched as the man's face sweated with fear that she might endanger him. Sakura inwardly snickered with satisfaction. Sasuke would probably laugh at her childishness but she couldn't help it. As much as she wanted to hit the two guards, this would do.

"I didn't think so." Sakura stepped back, shooting a look at the left guard, "Oh and when a girl says something— you don't ignore her, you acknowledge her! Got that?"

The guard nodded slowly in comprehension and muttered an apology. Sakura instantly turned giddy as if she had a split personality. She turned around and waved at the guards, "Oh you didn't have to, but I'll take it for your inconsideration."

The guards sputtered as Naruto laughed aloud, sending Sakura to laugh with him. Hinata looked between the two and smiled a small smile. She waved her hands to the side, signaling the guards to open the gates. They did as they were told, bowing in respect as the trio walked through the doors.

X

X

X

They walked around for awhile, Naruto had shown Sakura his favorite ramen stand he would go to celebrate with friends and family or whenever he felt like eating out; the park where Hinata and him would play three times a week, the school they went to as children to the end of their sophomore year in high school, their neighbors whom returned waves in recognition and finally the house where Naruto was brought up.

A mansion really; Sakura's eyes almost budge from their sockets as Naruto opened the door for the two ladies behind him. It might have looked big and wide outside, but it was five times much expanded inside. Sakura's lip fell as she glanced around the room. The stair case wasn't the straight kind but the circular ones, the walls were covered with ancestral portraits and the floor was marbled—magnificently shiny nonetheless. Sakura took a few paces forward and scanned the rest of the room.

"I'd like to tour with you guys," Hinata clasped her hands together in front of her and looked at Sakura, "but I have an important meeting to go to. I'm sorry for the inconvenience earlier."

Sakura spun around, facing the apologetic girl and wave her hands in disapproval, "Don't worry about it."

Despite the interest in the room, the only interest that caught Sakura's attention was how Hinata was looking at Naruto. She must really like him a lot, Sakura thought, adding a smile. Naruto reached over and grabbed Hinata's hand, pulling it up to his mouth, "It was a pleasure to see you again, Hinata chan. I hope we'll get to see each other once again."

Hinata's face turned pink as she nodded in agreement, "I'm sure we will…" She glanced at Sakura, "in the future."

_Future? Was she directing that to me? _Sakura thought, pretending like she didn't meet eyes with her.

"_Of course that depends on the person you're with."_ Hinata muttered, as Naruto called out, "Say hi to your dad for me!" She reached the door and walked out, not giving them a second glance.

Sakura lifted her gaze and thought twice on what Hinata muttered. Did Naruto hear what she had just said? Did he even notice? What does she mean when she said that? Sakura wondered, confusedly.

"Sakura chan," Naruto walked over to Sakura and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him. "Lets make this day memorable."

Sakura averted her eyes past Naruto's head. She didn't want to see what Naruto's eyes held, what meaning defined his way of speaking. She thought she already knew but she didn't want to confirm it… just yet. She wanted to make sure that she and Naruto were just friends, and nothing more.

As they toured the house, the time was inching past noon. Sakura was so fascinated with the place; she felt like she had just walked into the White House or entered a palace. It was way beyond her wildest dreams— she had thought Sasuke would be the rich guy with no care in the world, but this… this is much unexpected with Naruto. She had only thought from Naruto's job and his latest description that he came from a mid-class family. Unlike her, she was more of a low-class.

"Ne, Naruto?" Sakura wondered aloud, following Naruto outside to the patio, "How often do you come and visit your hometown?"

Naruto stood, watching a couple of birds chase each other in the air as the wind ruffled his hair back. "Well that depends."

"On what?" Sakura turned her head, a lock of hair flying in front of her eyes, "Your job schedule?"

Naruto turned and leaned towards her, swiping the hair and pushing it behind her ear, "No… Hinata's father."

Sakura stood there, puzzled with what Naruto had replied to her. What does Hinata's father have to do with Naruto? Are they on bad terms with each other? "What do you mean?"

Naruto leaned back and closed his eyes, feeling the slight breeze that played with his hair and the feel of Sakura's presence beside him, "Well, that's a different story to tell." He turns to Sakura and asks with a grin, "Are you hungry?"

Sakura takes a moment before answering and stares off from the patio. There was a small fountain that surrounds the Japanese garden. The small breeze blows Sakura's hair over her face.

"Naruto?" Sakura let out a breath, and placed a finger to her chin and spun around, walking to the patio doors. She felt the confusedness of the said boy behind her, staring at her back with anxiety. She wasn't sure why she felt it too but she had wished he'd run after her.

"Sakura chan!"

He would grab her arm and swing her around to face him.

Naruto grabbed her arm and rounded to face her; his head level to hers as he whispered, "I—"

He'd pull her tighter and whisper her name constantly, reassuringly.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked, clearing his throat. Sakura lowered her eyes to the floor as her brows furrowed in concentration.

_Yes!_

Sakura lifted her chin up and met with worried azure eyes and a contemplated look of hopelessness. Sakura shook her head, confusing Naruto even more. She placed her hand on his arm and took a step back, "I'm alright, Naruto."

_But… I'm not._

Naruto lets out a breath of relief and turns his head in embarrassment and sputters a quick line of apologies. Meanwhile, Sakura's eyes hold disappointment, almost sadness. She reaches up and clutches her chest and sighs silently to herself. "You're just not him."

"What?" Naruto snaps from his own world, and shoots Sakura a weird look.

"You're… coming, hm?" Sakura rolls her eyes to the side and walks around Naruto to the main doors.

Naruto hesitates and then catches up with Sakura as she steps out of the gates of his estate. Naruto kindly gestures Sakura the way through his neighborhood until she spots another house, she hasn't notice was there before.

"Oh," Naruto sweat drops and laughs, "That's where I first became friends with Hinata chan! It's nothing, it's meaningless, really."

"Oh?" Sakura stops and starts towards the small house. "Have you visited it recently?"

"Uh…" Naruto scratches his chin and crosses his arms in thought, "Not that I remember. Why?"

Sakura's eyes travel inside the house's windows and she doesn't miss the dust-wipe hanging on the wall, clean of dusts. Nor the chairs that should be old-looking from his childhood but are clean and well-kept or the book shelves that should be cracked and messy but is glossed and glowing from the corner of the room. Sakura tilts her head and thinks about the girl she met earlier. Hinata chan, hm?

_Hinata's face turned pink as she nodded in agreement, "I'm sure we will…" She glanced at Sakura, "in the future."_

"Sakura chan, are you alright?" Naruto asks, and runs a hand through his hair as he makes his way to Sakura. He reaches the door step and grabs Sakura's hand before she could open the door. "I think we should go."

"Why? Is someone occupying this house?" Sakura looked at the door skeptically and shook Naruto's hand off and reached for the door.

"Sakura." This time his voice was serious and yet again, took Sakura's hand, gripping it and tugging her away from the door. "Let's go. We have no business here."

_He didn't even use a suffix to my name. _Sakura thought, glancing back at the house before following Naruto to their lunch destination. There must be a lot of history in that house, she thought, regarding not just Naruto.

"_Of course that depends on the person you're with." Hinata muttered, as Naruto called out, **"Say hi to your dad for me!"** She reached the door and walked out, not giving them a second glance. _

They walked in silence as Naruto led them to an open restaurant that was right outside the village and nearby was an underway station. The restaurant was quite busy with tourists and companies, it wasn't at all big but it was nice to be out once in a while. Naruto seemed to be pleased with his reservation and Sakura was unusually quiet. Once they were seated between the outside Japanese sand garden and the walls that separated them from the business men, Sakura surprised Naruto with a question.

"Does Sasuke know?"

Naruto turned his head as a waitress walked up to their table and pulled a notepad and pencil out to take their order.

"Just water, thank you." Naruto nodded and grabbed the offered chop sticks from the waitress and handed one to Sakura.

"Does he know?" Sakura persisted, putting the sticks aside as the waitress turned to Sakura, "What would you like?"

Naruto leaned back into his chair as the waitress asked the question again. Sakura turned and smiled at her, "I'd like an answer, actually. I won't take no as an answer. Thank you."

The waitress looked between Sakura to Naruto and back, uncomfortable and then muttered that she'll get their orders in a bit and excused herself. Naruto sighed and clasped his fingers together and leaned against the table, and looked at Sakura with serious eyes. "Sakura, let's not talk about Sasuke…"

Sakura raised her pink brow and eyed Naruto's reactions and thought the way he talked. Was he serious? What couldn't he talk about with her that he could talk about with Sasuke, the open-minded person who cares? Or the fact that he brought her to his hometown, doesn't that mean he'd wanted to tell her about himself? Although she knew when a situation is brewing— like now, she couldn't help wind up the curiosity that clawed her mind. She knew she was in a tough spot but she wasn't the person to stop until she got her answer. "Why?"

"It doesn't concern you."

Sakura gritted her teeth at his ignorant appearance. She felt like sulking back into the chair, pulling a fact act of tears and inwardly laugh at his guilt but for some reason, there was a feel that he wouldn't budge. What was so wrong about not telling her? It's not that big of a secret if Sasuke knows it too.

The waitress returned with Naruto's glass of water and asked Sakura if she needed anything and that all she had to do was call her out. Sakura understood with a nod and a muffled grunt in return.

Naruto didn't seem bothered by Sakura's curiosity but he minded how persistent her questioning was towards him. He knew Sakura was growing a bit attached to Sasuke but he wasn't sure if it was out of pity that Sasuke did it for or out of fun. Before, he gotten himself in a big mess between Sasuke and one his clients; Sasuke had disappeared for a week after that and Naruto wished he hadn't poked his nose into another person's business. Now, he's faced with the same problem but this time, it's Sakura in Naruto's shoes and he didn't want that again, not just for him, for her too. But the only way he could think that would prevent her from doing so, was to act an ignorant jerk even though he didn't want to.

"Are you hungry?" He spoke while eyeing Sakura's hung head as she played with her utensils and napkin on the side. He did feel bad that he ignored Sakura but it was the only way to tell her 'no' in some way.

"No." Sakura shook her head and turned to the side, placing her cheek against her arm and stared off at the thin paper wall that portrayed five shadows of the business men on the other side, shaking hands. "I'm not hungry."

"Do you hate me, Sakura chan?" Naruto perked up, disappointed that he ruined her appetite.

Sakura huffed and rolled her eyes at him, "As if… I would ever think that of you."

Naruto let out a small laugh in relief and nodded his head at her in understanding. Sakura leaned towards the table, reaching for glass of water and brought it over to her lips and took a sip.

"Eh!" Naruto heaved a cough and flushed, eyeing the glass where Sakura's lips touched. "Ne, Sakura chan, that was my drink."

Sakura looked down at the water, "Was it?" Then she took another sip that turned into a large gulp and finished the glass with a small gasp afterwards. Naruto watched, his cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. Sakura leaned back and crossed her legs, "It's been fun, Naruto. Thank you."

Baffled, Naruto nodded vaguely as he waved away Sakura's thankfulness and gestured towards the cup. "Another cup?"

Sakura stood up, shaking her head in disappointment, "I'm sorry Naruto; I'm not feeling right this evening. I think I should go home."

Naruto sat there, dumbfounded and with a cry he stood up, grabbing Sakura's hand as she was about to turn to go. "Now? But we just got here Sakura chan…!"

"I'm sorry." Sakura turned and pulled her hand out of Naruto's and left the table, trailing out the restaurant. "I think I should go."

"I'll drive you!"

_Naruto pulls away and with a shake of his head, "He's going to be really busy so he won't have time to hang with us. Sorry if that busted your bubble. Don't worry though, I'll protect you! I am a bouncer and a bodyguard, after all."_

Sakura ran ahead, crossing the road towards the underground station. The memory ran through her mind like a wind that you couldn't see — the meaning, that is, but it was there, she could feel it. If she was correct, the reason why Naruto got mad at the mention of Sasuke's name, he didn't want Sasuke to come with them… but for what reason? If Sasuke already knew Naruto's past, why doesn't he want Sasuke with them? What was there to hide? They were best friends, right? Then another thought rushed forward, was Sasuke actually at a big meeting?

_After a few knocks on the last door, she turned to walk back to Sasuke's room, but stopped when she heard rasped breathing inside. _

It couldn't be? Sakura thought hard and stopped in her tracks, and spun around drawing a hand forward on Naruto's chest to prevent him from crashing into her.

"_Sasuke?" Sakura called out, "Are you in there?"_

_No response. _

"I really think **I **should take you home, Sakura chan!" Naruto chimed, sweat running down the side of his face. Mix of worry and anxiety was written across his red face, as he inhaled and exhaled heavy breaths. "You should be more careful! On that train, there could be perverts!"

"_Well don't worry too much, this is a safe station." Alec, the little boy said. He looked up at Sakura, his big brown oval eyes shining brightly at her, "Just watch out for perverts!"_

"Is it safe?" Sakura squinted up her eyes directly at Naruto in question as he sputtered for an answer, "Y-yeah, uh, well, I don't know… I haven't really ridden this train in awhile… but it's just one way if you're taking the train."

"_That doesn't even make sense!" Airy shouted, his hands spread out in frustration, "You said this is a safe station and there are perverts here?"_

Gritting her teeth, Sakura hears the station speaker call out a minute before departing to the city of bright lights, of where Sasuke was at, where her destination leads to.

_She shook her head and patted the two boy's heads, "Don't worry. I won't go near those perverts. Look, I won't even ride the train."_

"I'll take my chances." Sakura turned and ran to the desk to buy her one-way ticket to the city. Naruto stood there at the center, staring at her back as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, a while sneaking a glance at the run way that led to the train, waiting for her ticket to be given to her.

Once she was given her ticket, she had rushed quickly from the ticket booth to the run way and hopped over the terminal gate. She looked down at the departing time on the card and saw that she had a minute to make the departing train. She heard a faint sound behind her and she had only one time to glance back and saw Naruto standing there with a phone in hand, talking into it with a very sad and frustrated look on his face. She continued on and almost missed the doors closing by a few seconds if she didn't slide through between a leaving party.

_No response._

The train was completely crowded with tourists and the train seats were occupied with elders and mothers with children on their laps. Sakura squeezed through, and made her way to the next cart just as the train started to move. Once she got inside, she felt her pocket vibrate.

_Sakura waited but no one came to the door. Maybe she was imagining it; she thought to herself and shook her head lightly. She sighed and knocked again, "Well, if you're in there. I'm heading out for a bit. I promised Naruto I'd go with him to his hometown. If you need me, don't hesitate to call me."_

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A/N: To Mathamatica-chan, one suggestion is enough, thank you.


	14. Chapter 14

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

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A/N: Thanks for keeping up with Mysterious Found and reviewing each chapter as you go on! I see you guys are really impatient about how the story is turning out but I assure you, this story is not paired SakuXSasu for nothing… I'm sorry that I haven't been updating recently, I've been doing a lot of multi-tasking… not fun. Please RxR and enjoy the story. Single suggestions (no supernatural ideas please) are welcomed still! Oh and one more thing: Please restrain from using **foul** words in your comments including abbrev. ("wtf" and "wth") Thank you!

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(Line Interceding)

_Sent: Sakura_

_From: Sasuke 3 (heart)_

_Text: Hn_

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Sakura furrowed her brows together and scrolled the text down to only see the time that the text was sent. Sakura's eyes widened; half an hour has passed since the text was sent and she hadn't felt her cell vibrate until a few seconds ago, so why now?

Sakura pressed reply and all her thoughts came out into a jumble that she filled in three texts. She waited, glaring at the send button and even though her explanation didn't make much sense, she thought better of it. She pressed the end button on her phone which exited the text messages folder and leaned against the train window, watching as trees went by in a blur.

Waiting as a half an hour goes by, a few stops were made as elder people got off and a family of three burst out in excitement and all was left were a few elders and some students that got on. Sakura felt her stomach clench in hunger and almost regretted not ordering anything while she was within the restaurant. She gritted her teeth at being so stupid— at least she could have bought something to go before she ran directly to get a spot on the train. But then the thought of Naruto made her glare at her reflection in the green scenery of the window. What was his problem anyway? Why did he act towards Sasuke, as if he didn't like Sasuke as much like a brother? They were best friends, right? Sakura shook her head and lowered her eyes down at the ground, her eyes traveling at the speed.

An alarm call was heard in the train as the operator announced the next destination and the time they would be arriving there. Sakura was relieved that her stop was coming up next so then she could rush back to Sasuke's house and check up on him… that is, if he's there.

The thought made her feel anxious and she felt the blush reach her cheeks. She swallowed the hunger down and reached for her phone once again and flipped it open. Going through her contacts that only contained a few recipients; she picked out Sasuke's and pressed send. She waited for him to pick up but was only sent to his voicemail instead. Sakura sighed and was surprised to hear Sasuke's voice instead of the operator's robotic recorded voice.

_You reached Uchiha Sasuke, can't come to the phone at the moment, but if you give me a reason why you're calling, I'll call you ASAP... maybe. Later._

BEEP!

"Sasuke!" Sakura's voice rose into the mouthpiece, sounding almost desperate which made her feel embarrassed. She took a breath and started over, "Hey, i-it's Sakura." She swallowed and continued on, "Um, I'm calling to say I'll be coming home— I, I mean your place and I just wanted to let you know before hand. So when you get this, call me." Sakura breathed into the mouth piece and spoke with longing, "Um, I also wanted—"

She stopped short as her voice hitched in her throat. Sakura furrowed her brows and swiftly turned around, gasping at the face so close to hers. She squeaked into the phone, "Excuse me! What do you think you're doing?"

Distracted, Sakura eyed the person who stood so close to her, to get a better look in case she needed to identify who he was. Sakura swallowed as the man's hand reached forward and grabbed at her chest. Sakura made a small cry and back away, but only to hit the window of the train.

"You're cute!" The man grunted in amusement and grinned; lifting his eyes at Sakura's shocked jade eyes. "Want a job?"

Sakura gave the man a weird look and looked back and forth from each side of the said man, hoping to find an opening she can call for help. "No, thanks!"

The man laughed; Sakura observed that he wasn't much older than forty and he had dark, shaggy hair where it split only revealing one of his violet eyes. Then what she didn't expect was when the said man leaned towards her, putting one hand against the wall, blocking her view of escape, cornering her even more. Sakura gulped and gripped the phone, her fingers falling over the creases of each numbers.

She licked her dried lips and bit her bottom lip, and moved to her left. The man wasn't fooled though for he had experienced in these types of situations. He blocked her escape once more with his other hand on the other side of her head. "Where do you think you're going, miss?"

Startled, Sakura lowered her eyes and quickly glanced at her phone but as soon as she did, she regretted it when the man grabbed her hand in which the phone was gripped. He snickered and snatched the phone away and looked at the screen which to Sakura's surprise was still being recorded by voice mail. _That's one long voice mail,_ Sakura inner thoughts whispered. "No, don't!" Sakura reached forward to grab the phone back but the man brought it away and pushed Sakura back against the wall with his big hand.

"Don't think we'll be using this." The man flipped the screen closed, making the call to end. Sakura's heart jumped as her eyes screamed 'hopeless'. Her eyes slowly looked over behind the man's shoulder and to her surprise, saw that no one else was in their cart of the train except an older man sitting in one corner, asleep. "Now where were we?"

Sakura's lips parted, her breaths were short as her frightened self tried to think of a plan, a plan to scream out for help or at least try to wrestle with the said man in front of her and then run or—

He pushed forward, parting Sakura's thighs with his knee. Sakura's eyes widened as her mind raced back to that morning where she had thought someone, possibly Sasuke had raped her. Then the echoes of little voices entered her mind, the little boys from earlier had told her to be careful of perverts on the train. Even Naruto's voice was mixed into their cautions. Sakura felt her hands tremble as the man's hand roamed up towards her chest. She couldn't do anything; she didn't know what to do! She has never been in this situation before and even though her mind was practically screaming for an answer, and her blood was racing to her cheeks, she clenched her fists and with no meaning to, what she did was on instinct. She gave the pervert a tweak as he backed away in pain.

Sakura didn't stop until the man wrenched away, crying aloud, and curses flying from his mouth. Sakura reached forward and snatched the phone out of his other hand and quickly ran to the next cart of the train which led to the kitchen station. When she was clear, she pulled the phone up and flipped it open.

Beep-Beep-Beep. Sakura looked hard at the number nine and as if her prayers had been answered, the operator had spoke asking for detail about the crime. "Yes, there is a pervert on the train I'm riding in." Sakura took a breath, "What? Of course, why wouldn't I? …no, he just suddenly—! Look, sir, the pervert didn't look much older than forty and he has dark, disheveled hair… no, no; but his hair did split revealing one of his eyes! Yes! His eyes were mauve!"

Sakura eyes blazed as the man on the other line laughed, saying that there were no perverts on the Konoha train because it's safe with tight security. Sakura growled and yelled into the phone, "Are you serious! You're supposed to be of some help! This is not help, don't make me report you, sir; I will if I have to!"

Then the line went dead. Sakura looked at the white lit screen, her teeth grinding in irritation. "What the—"

The door to the cart slid open, and a body stepped in, closing the door shut behind him. Startled, Sakura spun around and stared at the intruder, her face revealed a mixed of anxiety and fright. The person was about four feet taller than her as he gave her a glance of curiosity. Sakura swallowed as her eyes traveled across his face. He wore an eye patch over his left eye that seemed to almost cover half his face. He also wore a dark navy blue handkerchief over his mouth like you see cow boys do in the movies. Sakura furrowed her brows in confusion as she tried to take a look at his vest.

"You're safe." He spoke, his voice low and rough. He coughed and turned on his heel, his vest flapped open, revealing a taser gun and hand cuffs. Sakura's eyes softened as relief washed over her features.

"Wa-ait!" Sakura's voice cracked in the end; she had moved forward and her hand reached to thank the man but she soon came to realize as her eyes traveled past the man's shoulder and through the cart's window from the cart she was in before, saw the pervert on the ground, beaten and passed out. Everything she saw had sunk in her mind and before her was a guard who turned to look at her, reassuring that everything was fine. "Um! Did you do that?" She waved at the pervert.

The guard didn't give a second glance what she was referring to and slid open the door to the next cart, "On primary basis, I like to take a nap once in a while with no disturbances caused by young girls," He gave her a look and nodded his head to the intruder, "not having the tendencies to cry wolf."

Sakura's lips parted, confused to what he was talking about but as she thought hard, she did remember seeing one other person sleeping in the cart she and the violator was in. Was that this man she's talking to? Did he beat the pervert for her? Did he save her after she had escaped? She didn't know but she was soon to find out. "Was that you?" She guessed, stepping forward, "You were sleeping not too long ago… or were you actually sleeping?"

The man gave a nod and stepped back in, sliding the door halfway close before replying, "I like to remain to myself more than to others. It's so bothersome to gain other people's attention."

"And… did you beat that pervert up?" She asked, eyeing past his shoulder once again, making sure the man was really passed out.

"Wasn't hard to; a poke was all it took."

Sakura raised a brow and shook her head in amusement, "Funny. I didn't think you'd care, after all, saving the day after the girl gets violated, such gratitude."

The man chuckled and stuffed his hands into his vest pocket which were short and his arms extended outwards, "Just doing my job."

"So… Mr.—" Sakura paused, giving the man a moment to reply.

"Hatake." He spoke, pulling his hand out of his vest pocket and opening his hand to reveal his badge. It was the Konoha's seal and around it was embedded his name, _Kakashi Hatake_.

"—Hatake, is this train safe because you take care of all the perverts?" Sakura asked, stepping to the side and leant back on the counter. The floor boards rattled and the cabinets rang with rigidity beats as the train took a small turn.

Hatake chuckled, "That's a great question." He shook his head in amusement, a lock of hair falling onto his forehead. He brushed it back in place, his eyes looking up to make sure his hair was still intact.

"And you didn't answer my question." Sakura sucked in a breath, and at the same time, muttered. Sakura licked her lips and tilted her eyes as she eyed his vest. Something yellow was sticking out of his inner pocket. Sakura raised a brow as she looked closer. A simple cut off symbol was revealed but it almost looked like a fetish sign. Sakura gave Hatake a weird look before muttering something rude and yet innocent.

Hatake noticed her curiosity brewing and glanced down at his vest. He found that she was looking at his book that he purchased for a good and reasonable price in the H*-Store. He snickered, "Funny is it," He reached in and grabbed the book and showed it to her. Her eyes widened as she scanned the cover— the cover outlined a woman bent in a seduced way, her legs spread apart and her arm reached down, showing an upside down "V". "You might be thinking—"

"Oh god," Sakura backed away, and glared at the man in disbelief, "You're a pervert too!"

"Well, that's a bit—"

"Oh god, I was saved by a pervert!" Sakura's words trained out of her mouth, her hands covering her face in embarrassment.

"Now I wouldn't say—"

"Oh god, it's his **job**!" Sakura struck the empty air with her outstretched her arms, her voice raised, almost cracking.

"Ma'am, please restrain yourself from crying wolf!" Hatake managed and lifted his hands towards her, motioning her to keep indoor voices.

Sakura shook her head and shot a glare at him; she was trapped, backed against the counter and the only way out was behind the said man. Make it worst, the train had jerked forward sending the guard stumbling towards her and slowing the pace as the train led to a stop. _"Ladies and gentleman, we are now boarding Konoha's city limits. Please watch your step while getting off."_

Sakura let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. The guard quickly straightened up and offered his apologies, siding to open the screen door as Sakura fumbled for her phone and hurried off the train's cabin to the safety of the station platform. She turned around halfway and spotted the guard entering the next trailer, and disappeared. Sakura felt relief overwhelm her as she clutched her phone to her chest and began her way to the exit of the station.

She had recognized the entrance to the train station she was standing in front of just hours ago. She had the faint thought of calling over a taxi but then turning the direction the small family had shown her was clear that her memory was still fresh and she could make it to Sasuke's house in little than ten minutes. She grinned.

Setting off, her thoughts scurried to how worried she was towards Sasuke and that how stupid it was for her not to leave sometime behind like a note that she'd be with Naruto for the time being. She racked her brain for a excuse just in case Sasuke had asked her where she had went if he wasn't at his house or if he did went to work and didn't return back by the time Naruto dropped her off. She was kind of glad that she was walking down blocks from his house than Naruto dropping her off at her house. It would be lonely to walk into an empty house, not being greeted by hugs or voices. It would just be her and her house… almost the thought of Sasuke being alone in his own home made her stomach do a flip.

She reached the corner of an alleyway that Sasuke had taken her to the last time he showed her to his work place. Sakura kept walking ahead and almost bumped into a pole if not for a dog who barked at her from over a fence. Startled, Sakura got back her composure and raced down the street until she slowed her pace when set foot into Sasuke's neighborhood.

She swallowed and continued on foot. What if Sasuke was waiting for her at his door step? What would she say to him? What if he wasn't there and his door was locked? What would she do? She couldn't simply break in? Nonetheless, even if the door was unlocked, she'd probably considered that as in voluntarily breaking in… wouldn't it? Her eyes traveled among the houses, passing each gate with anxiety. She licked her lips until her eyes caught a flash of light flickering off the opened gate that she had closed this morning. Blood raced through her veins and her face turned pale. The thought of someone breaking in Sasuke's house had stricken her quite violently that she bolted up the steps and burst through the doors of Sasuke's compound.

"Sasuke!" She ran up the stairs by taking two steps at a time. She averted her eyes to Sasuke's room which was left as it was, closed and undisturbed.

Sakura strolled to the next room and finally reached the closed door that she wasn't able to open from earlier. This time, she reached for the knob and twisted it. To her surprise, the door opened with a swift and rush of heat wavered through. It was just like any other room but this room was packed with two drawers on one side, a screen TV across the room, an indoor bathroom and a queen size bed. And on that bed, laid a man whom Sakura was quite familiar with who was covered in sweat, tangled in his covers and pillows strewn on the floor. "Sasuke?" Sakura's breath was caught in her throat as she skipped over to Sasuke's side, her hand flying to his forehead. He was burning fever.

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Light strewn from the windows, _too early_, he had thought. He had propped one arm up, covering his sensitive eyes but found it numb to the bed. He couldn't feel the strength to move and he definitely wasn't aware of it. He blinked away the crust that dared cling to the sides of his eyes as he peeked up at the white ceiling. He found himself lying upright against a big fluffy pillow that cushioned his back, which made the room tilt in an awry state. He felt vomit arouse in his stomach and reached over to the small table that sat aside the bed. There on the table, was a tall glass of fresh water and a small pill.

Confused, Sasuke paused before taking a hold of the pill and popping it into his mouth and then taking the glass of water and sipping it until he had swallowed the med and laid back into the pillow. He breathed heavily and glanced over at the digital clock below the screen TV and read ten minutes past five. How long has he been sleeping? He never wakes up this late unless he was either knocked out cold from drinking (of course, that's unlike him, at all) or he did an all-nighter (which in his case is possible).

Letting out a small yawn, he blinked a few times before letting out a terrible cough. Strange as he felt, he comes to the conclusion too late as the door to the guest room he was staying in, quietly swings open and in walks a girl with pink locks and is carrying a tray of food.

"Oh!" She gasps lightly and strolls to the left side of his bed, settling the tray on the side table, quickly moving aside the glass of water. She removes the cover to the hot bowl that sits on the trays and pulls out a spoon before mixing the contents with it. She moves diligently and quickly, making sure no mistakes were carried behind. She glances at Sasuke, making note of how pale he looked and reassures him that he'll be just fine.

Sasuke watches with little interest as Sakura takes out a small towel and enters the walk in bathroom across the room and hears the running water she tapped on. Then she emerges from the room and walks towards him, while folding the towel in four and dapping it about his face. Her eyes travels on his features, making sure she didn't skip a sweat and then smoothly, traces his cheeks with her fingers. Tickling his skin, Sasuke's eyes fluttered as her finger tips moved with utmost care towards his forehead and checked his temperature. She nodded absentminded and pursed her lips, letting out a small breath. Sasuke closed his eyes again and this time, he didn't wake up.

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Meanwhile, Sakura was constantly on the move, making sure Sasuke was comfortable and aided with each stir and mumble. Sakura couldn't stand how she had just left him this morning without knowing he was actually there, in bed, sick with fever. So she did was possible, to occupy herself with cleaning. She left Sasuke in his bed, with a glass of water and a pill on the side just in case he awoke and needed a drink. She went in search of something she could possibly do to help out around the house. She didn't know if Sasuke had hired a housekeeper but even if he did, no one showed and the only way to show him her appreciation was to help out. Cleaning his laundry— even though seeing his boxers was a slight embarrassment, it took her half an hour just to move it from the basket to the washing machine, without squealing over about being exposed to such material. Shaking out of her queer state, she set off with the little duties she listed within the compound.

After thinking about the underwear incident, she had the need to roll her eyes at how childish she was and knew it was crazy because she had seen Sai in boxers before and at that time; it hadn't bothered her… much. Taking a breath, Sakura quietly puts away the dishes from the dishwasher and accidentally bangs the cupboards close. She seethes in a breath or two and takes a moment before relieving herself with more duties. She crosses over to the pantry and looks in; examining the kinds of food Sasuke might be interested in. Not much was stored, even though to Sakura, Sasuke looked healthy. On the bottom of the pantry, a box was taped close and on the side was written, '_Death wish_'. Sakura stifled a laugh and lifted her brow in curiosity. She didn't want to be the nosy person she was but couldn't help despite her already snooping about, cleaning the said man's house.

She fingered the taping and carefully tore it away and opened the box flap. Inside was packed with cups of ramen noodles. This time, Sakura couldn't help but let out a what-in-the-world laugh and closed the exposed box, pushing it back into the pantry and dusting herself off.

Back in the living room, Sakura tidied the small cushions on the couch and straightened the remote controls on the coffee table. Then she made note that it was nearing dinner and that she should make something for herself and for Sasuke. Clearly, he must be hungry and that she would check up on him from time to time. She hurried to the kitchen and gathered the ingredients to making a healthy dinner for Sasuke. She went on, and opened his fridge and grabbed some vegetables, hoping he wasn't too picky on what she picked and placed them on the counter. After having her cooking materials out, she went on dicing the vegetables and mixing in the flavor that would make a tasty soup for a bedridden person. She searches each drawer for utensils and finds them near the sink. She then remembers that she had snooped in most of his kitchen drawers and saw a tray that could be useful for her carrying the food to his room.

After preparing the meal, she carefully trails up the stairs and continues to the guest room where Sasuke lays. Entering, she makes note to open his window for some fresh air and upon doing so, she sees that he's awake and confused. "Oh!" Sakura hurries to his side and places the tray on the table. Sasuke, oh good, you're awake! She thinks. She inwardly smiles and sets off towards the bathroom, a small towel in tow. When she gets there, she taps out cold water and rinses the small towel underneath; making sure it soaks every inch and then wrenches it and walks back into the room.

"How are you feeling, Sasuke?" She voiced but it didn't seem Sasuke heard but that was alright. When you're sick, she thinks, sometimes you just don't have the breath to speak. She continues to reassure him that he'll be alright and up in no time… all he needed now was more rest and plenty of water. She dabs at his cheeks, his chin, his nose, everywhere on his face, erasing the sweat that dares to sprint up from his pores. She lowers her eye lids, feeling weary from the day— BUT! She couldn't sleep; she has to be awake, for Sasuke. She trails her fingers on the sides of his face, caressing almost and moved up to feel his temperature and was relieved to find his fever had gone down, just a little. But he will be alright, for her sake. "You'll be alright." She whispered and swept away a loose lock and continued on pressing his face gently with the wet cloth. "I'll make sure of it."

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It was about eleven at night when Sasuke opened his eyes again and rummaged against the covers above him. He moved heavily and brought a hand to his forehead and felt a wet towel instead. Scrunching his brows together, he swallowed deeply and sat up slowly, a wave of dizziness departing. Blinking away his daze, his eyes catches the mere shimmer of pink to the side of his bed. Sasuke pushes away the covers and pulls in his legs from underneath and turns his attention to the girl beside him.

Sleeping soundly, sitting on a chair, bent— her head rested on her crossed arms laid Sakura. Sasuke remotely but quietly lifted his hand and brushed away a few strands of pink hair from her eyes to the side of her face. She looked exhausted and just as if his brain turned on, his eyes flashed as memory blinked ferociously like a headline on a newspaper. The night before, Sakura had collapsed on that rainy night and he was the one to catch her fall. He had reassured the families in his neighborhood that she was going to be alright and he'd take good care of her. He carried her into his house, and towards his bedroom. Then he had settled her into his bed, the covers pulled aside until she was sat up against the headboard. Then Sasuke felt the sweat that covered her whole face and felt the fever rushing among her limbs. Sasuke, worried had ran outside, hoping to find one of the mothers to help him out and as of, did.

She gave him some tips on how to cure a cold and as Sasuke did as he was told, Sakura was cared nicely. Being laid in bed, he kept a close eye on her, only hoping that she'd wake and if she did, ask for him. For a brief moment, he felt his insides warm and the pride that urged past him made him feel dependable. He liked it. He liked Sakura depending on him; it made him feel more of a man than he already was. But what disturbed his attentive state, soon made him turn away awkwardly.

Sakura was kicking the covers, her hands moving up and down her body, her fingers treading on the hems of her clothing, pulling and shoving them off— the heat too much for her, she just needed air, fresh flowing air. Sasuke understood that and averting his eyes from her bare skin (even though all she was left was in her undergarments), he respected her too much to violate her privacy and tucked the covers over her, and leaving a damp towel over her burning forehead.

That night, he too was exhausted and needed rest but as soon as he plopped down onto one of his guest bedrooms, his head hitting the pillow— he was out. Nothing could disturb Sasuke's sleep except the fact that he was fighting off quick breaths through out the night and day, and the ability to hear was muffled as he began to bear off pores and pores of sweat leading to dampening his bed. The only time he woke was quick and nonetheless dreamless, was when his phone buzzed and a voicemail proceeded onto the fax machine.

"Mm," Sakura mumbled, her voice breaking Sasuke's thoughts and returning him back to bed, "Sasuke?"

Sakura's eyes looked daze as she peeked at Sasuke's wakened form. She stifled a yawn and brought a hand to her eye, rubbing it. The corner of Sasuke's lip curved up as he watched Sakura blink away the sleepy tears and focus her gaze around her surroundings.

"How was your beauty sleep?" He joked, his teeth piercing through his lip. Sakura gasps and sits upright, pushing back the chair with a screech.

"Sasuke!" She jerks forward, grabbing Sasuke's arms and pulling him towards her, "You're okay, that's great!"

Sasuke, surprised, hugged Sakura back. He felt almost tired again but he was definitely now awake and wondering what was for breakfast. His stomach made note of it, signaling Sakura to the rescue. Pulling away suddenly, Sakura blushed at her mistake and turned away, letting her hair fall in front of her face, hiding away her embarrassment from Sasuke. She swallowed and stood up, brushing away the wrinkles of her shirt and fixed her messy hair.

"Um, you must be hungry!" She spins around and eyes Sasuke's pale face, "I'll go make you something to eat."

Turning back around, she fumbles for the tray and tips the glass of water over, making it spill its contents on the table. Sakura groaned, mumbling 'crap' and picked up the glass and skipped over to the bathroom. In the bathroom, she glances back in the room, keeping an eye on Sasuke, making sure he didn't get up from bed and wandering around. She takes out a small towel and walks out the restroom and towards the mess she made.

Wiping the wetness of the table before it stains the counter, Sakura makes sure everything is secure but realizes too soon that a pair of arms had wrapped around her waist, and a chin had rested on her right shoulder. "Sakura…" Sasuke breathed out, his hot breath tickling Sakura's cheek.

"Yes," Sakura sucks in a breath, "Sasuke?"

"I like…" Pausing, he turns his head away and breathes out a small cough that he had held in with effort.

_Like? Like what? Me?_ Sakura's mind blared, an urgent sign hanging over her head, her blood rising on seconds. Sakura turns her head and glances back as Sasuke mumbles into her ear. _Wait; did he just say 'I like you' to me? Was it 'you'? _Sakura thought hard on what Sasuke might have said. "W-what?"

"Tomatoes." He pressed forward, trapping Sakura from underneath him. "If you don't mind…?"

Recovering quickly, Sakura makes an effort to turn around and push him back gently against the bed side. Oh, he said 'I like to…' not 'I like you', Sakura's voice echoes in her mind and brings her hand against his cheek, patting it like a mother to a child, "Alright."

"Sasuke, you need to get back in bed," Sakura rain checks Sasuke's temperature and places Sasuke's arm around her shoulders as she slowly pulls him up. It took only a few seconds to put him back in bed, and the tuck Sasuke under the covers, making sure his pillow was comfortable behind his head. Then Sakura did her deed by taking the tray of his latest meal downstairs for a new refill.

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A/N: Hey guys, I know took a bit longer than usual to update, but it's the summer! You can't help but take a "little" break once in awhile… but I'm sure on my break, I might be working on more ideas for this story. But hey, I don't mind single suggestions from you guys. For someone or a few people who doubted the way this story was heading, didn't I say this story wasn't paired SakuXSasu for nothing? I'm pretty sure I did mention this… Thanks for reading and reviewing… keep it up, it encourages me!


	15. Chapter 15

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

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A/N: Hey guys, how was everyone's Christmas and New Year's? Did anyone have snow last year? Anyway, I hope you didn't get too confused in the recent chapter I posted. It will come together real soon, just wait patiently and don't assume anything bad… about Mysterious Found. I haven't updated in months, I know; I know (sorry, my computer crashed during the summer and despite going to school, I developed a writer's block recently—hopefully it goes away soon). Please read and review, thanks a lot!

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(Line Interceding)

Returning back upstairs, Sakura opens the door with her leg and closes it while carrying a tray with a bowl of ramen noodles, utensils wrapped in a napkin and on the side, a pair of uncut tomatoes. She crosses the room to the side table adjacent to where Sasuke's lying down. After placing the tray down on the table, Sakura pulls out the spoon from within the napkins and places it in the bowl; she turns to Sasuke, who sat upright in his bed, quiet and observant.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted it in the soup or not, so…" Sakura motions at the two pair of tomatoes sitting on the tray, without leaving her eyes on him.

"That's alright; it doesn't matter unless there are tomatoes in or out of it." Sasuke shrugs and sniffs the aroma of the ramen noodles. "Thanks."

Sakura nods and sits on the side of the bed, taking the tray and setting it on top of Sasuke's lap and as she was going to say 'your welcome', other words spill out, "I'll feed you."

Silence was all it took— awkward silence. With widened eyes, the duo stares at each other. Sakura mentally smacked herself, how stupid she is to even say something so embarrassing to him. On the other hand, Sasuke stared past her head, across the room to avoid a blush creeping up his neck. It's a good thing too; he was wearing a collar to hide the redness.

"Sorry," Sakura stumbled and cleared her throat, "I don't know why I said that."

"No, no…" Sasuke snapped his attention back to Sakura, and shook his head from her apologies, "It's clearly alright— seeing that I'm sick and a patient needs tending to."

Sakura glances up at Sasuke as his lips moved and it took her a minute or two for his words to register into her mind. Sakura bit her lip and gave Sasuke an apologetic but concern look before taking the spoon in one hand and the bowl in the other. "You're right, I should…"

"I'm not forcing you though…" Sasuke lifts a hand, bringing it down on Sakura's shoulder.

Sakura could feel the heat radiating off his finger tips. Trying to push down the heat rising to her cheeks, Sakura locks her gaze with Sasuke's and rethinks on their attempted conversation. "But I think I…"

Sakura sucks in a breath as her mind jumbles upon thinking too hard. Afraid that if she opens her mouth, words will spill out that she intentionally thought of and yet, didn't mean to say out loud. She couldn't let that happen again, especially if she doesn't have control over it.

"Sakura?" Sasuke moves his hand down to her wrist and gently grabs her hand with the spoon in it and dips it in the soup. Lifting the spoon, he positions it at his lips as Sakura follows with her emerald eyes, wide and surprised. He lowered his eyes and pursed his lips, making Sakura almost land a spot where she would swipe a kiss from him but caught herself before she could do it. Swallowing, she blew out a shaky breath, "…want to."

Sasuke lifted his eyes, gazing at Sakura while he sipped the juice. His daring eyes shot a volt through Sakura almost as if she was shocked by lightening, and the sentiment of being paralyzed to the bone, reminded her the time she discovered the truth about her parents. Sakura, feeling slightly uncomfortable and yet, unbelievably mesmerized, couldn't give him the look of intimidation. But in return, she had hoped that this look she was giving him would somehow encourage him to continue what his intentions were becoming. Just the thought of back when he had asked her to kiss his wounds away, just before Naruto had interrupted them, had brought a chill running down her spine.

"Are you cold?" He asked as his brow quirked upwards. Dropping his hand from hers, he gripped the extra blanket that covered the thin layer on top of him and offered it to her with a nudge, "I don't want you catching a cold again."

_Again. __**Again?**_

Sakura scrunched her face with puzzlement and asked him what he was talking about, because clearly she felt fine and she insisted that nothing of the sort had happened to her. But then the thought of early that morning, when one of the mothers had greeted her, had said that she looked healthier than the day before, including the compliment of how sweet it was that Sasuke had the courtesy to take care of her.

"Oh." Sakura lowered her eyes and turned half way around, facing the screen TV. "I'm sorry you had the burden to take care of me…"

"Sakura," Sasuke motioned, lifting a hand towards her face, cupping her chin and turned it to face him. "It's not your fault," Sasuke says slowly, and upon thinking, grinned, "Well maybe it was—" Pausing midway, Sasuke turned away and coughs.

At the same time, Sakura gapes in innocent offense and then smiles, gently smacking Sasuke's hand away, "No way!" Sasuke huffs, and glances back at Sakura who, by realization had just injured a sick guy, and goes back to sulking. Shaking his head, he spoke, not minding that his hand was hit, "…You didn't have to wait outside for me— I did tell you to stay indoors."

"Sasuke, you're sick." Sakura pulls away and turns to face the TV. "I was the cause of that! I didn't even know you **were** sick until after I got back!"

"You were gone?"

Sakura made a noise in the back of her throat and nods, suddenly remembering that she had called him. "Oh like you didn't know, you sent me a text, remember?"

Sasuke takes a glance at the side table where he thought he remembered placing his phone but soon realizes that it wasn't there, "I don't really remember… but I'm pretty sure it didn't leave this room." Understanding, Sakura got up from the bed and helped search for his missing phone. Sasuke pulled back the blankets and swung one leg off the bed.

"Oh no, you don't, mister!" Sakura gasps and hurriedly walks around the bed and pushes him back where his head met the pillows. Startled, Sasuke sits up and stares at Sakura who stands firm in front of him. Shaking her head, she points out, "You're sick remember? Getting up quickly will only make matters worst."

Sasuke parted his lips to retort but then quickly shut it. Nodding slowly, Sasuke allowed Sakura her way, only because he was indeed recovering from being sick and she, after all had nursed him, "Okay."

Sakura, satisfied, turns around and starts again on her search for his missing phone. Looking up, after from crouching to peek under the bed, Sakura does a double take as her eyes capture the missing clue and stands up with an 'Aha!' She crosses the room to Sasuke's dresser and takes the phone that was sitting neatly adjacent to the fax machine.

"You found it," Sasuke noted, giving her a congratulated compliment, "Good job."

Sakura beams and flips his phone open. She presses the unlock button and the screens blinks, revealing a couple of missed calls, including hers. "Here it is, missed called from Sakura Haruno."

Sasuke blinks and instantly turns away to cough, "Ugh, I hate coughs. They're the worst."

Sakura laughed, "Yeah, I know! Oh and the running nose too… if you need a box of tissues, I can run by the convenience store, and buy you some, if you want?"

"No need," Sasuke shook head, and jerked his thumb backwards, facing the back of headboard of his bed, "There are a couple of mothers who are willing to provide any tissues if need be."

Feeling a smirk tugging at her lips, Sakura couldn't help but laugh at him, "Oh, I'm sure."

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After an hour, Sakura had allowed Sasuke to get up and take a nice cold shower that would help him with his cold. Sakura climbed the stairs and walked into Sasuke's sick room, and decided to open the windows again to clear out the bad air. After doing so, Sakura glances back and strolls to the messy bed. Nodding her head, she tugs at the wrinkled blankets and pulls them off the bed, along with the pillows. Meanwhile, Sasuke goes unnoticed as he appears in the room, dressed as if he's going somewhere. Creeping behind her, he wraps his arms around her waist, making her gasp, startled.

"Oh! Sasuke," Sakura pulls back, a tinge of static had zapped her, "Didn't know you finished."

Sasuke's lip curved up as he peered down at her, "Well, I did tell you that my bathroom is…"

"Soundproof." She finished, "I know. But seriously, what for? Why not any of the other rooms? Why just the bathroom?"

Sasuke didn't say anything as he turns away and coughs again. Holding his breath, he removes his hands around her waist as she sits then on his now fixed bed. "Mmm, if I tell you… I'll have to kill you."

Raising her eyes brows, Sakura stares at him in disbelief, "What? You can trust me, it's not like I know anyone in the city—"

"Naruto." 

"—besides him," Sakura continues and gets interrupted once more.

"The mothers next door," Sasuke persisted.

"—are you telling me that I communicate through gossip?" Sakura looks at him glumly, "Seriously, this isn't some TV show: Sex in the City."

"Crayon." Sasuke teased, counting on his fingers.

"As if I talk to him!" Sakura raised her brow, frustrated with Sasuke's cooperation. Flopping back, Sakura lied down on his bed, staring at the ceiling, "Why won't you tell me? Or… is it that you can't?"

"It's…" Sasuke trailed off, glancing back at Sakura who looks perked at his upcoming say in the matter. But only to tease her and see her disappointed expression, he announced, "confidential."

"Poo!" Sakura pouted and turned over to her stomach, her face muffled onto the blankets, "You're no fun!"

Sakura felt the bed beneath shift, knowing that Sasuke was sitting beside her. She turned her face sideways and glanced up at him. Sasuke snickered and shook his head at her behavior towards him. Sakura glared slightly and then stuffed her face back into the blankets.

"Well… I can be," Sasuke started off only to pause to think back on what he was implying to.

Sakura propped up on her arms and swung her head to face Sasuke. Raising an eye brow, curiosity got the better of her, "What?"

Sasuke shook his head, thinking over their conversation and coughed, "Anyway, I think we should end it here."

This time, Sakura jerked back up and jumped on the bed, aside from Sasuke, she grabbed his collar and pulled him towards her, "No, tell me!"

Startled from her actions, Sasuke masked his surprise look and smirked with confidence, "Can't, remember?"

"Why not?" Sakura whined, tightening her hold. She wasn't going to let him off so easily; sometimes when Sakura puts her mind to it— either if it's a bias situation, she knows she'll get an answer in some way. Like now, a question had pushed its way to the front, and was perched at the cliff's edge, ready to jump at any moment now, "…Does Naruto know?"

Sasuke paused, his eyes rolling to the side, his mind scrolling through a list of past memories. He didn't reply right away so instead, answered with an incoherent noise. Sakura raised a brow, baffled. Giving him a hard stare, Sasuke didn't meet her gaze but shrugged and then thought harder on what she was asking.

From all the years he's known Naruto, he doesn't think Naruto has ever used his soundproof bathroom. Even if he did, Sasuke wasn't aware of it… he didn't want to think deeper on the subject of what Naruto does in the bathroom besides using it for what it's for, example: taking a dump. Sighing, he averts his eyes back to the shining green eyes that spark a curious stare into his own reflective bowls of charcoal.

"Like I said, confidential." Sasuke spoke, closing the conversation as he got closer to Sakura's face, and lifted his hand to brush a loose lock away from her hind sight and tucked it behind her ear.

Sakura had silently sucked in her breath as Sasuke did his bidding. She didn't know she had loosened her hold on Sasuke until he pulled away and stood up. Sakura finally swallowed, and blinked her eyes a couple of times before focusing them on Sasuke once more. Sakura furrowed her brows together, wondering what Sasuke might mean by confidential; she knew she shouldn't barge in on someone else's business nor should her habit of being nosy get in the way. Sighing, Sakura stood up as well and walked to the open window that had already consumed the ailment of Sasuke's situation, as Sasuke sauntered off from her peripheral vision.

Turning the lock on the window tightly, Sakura turned her head to see what Sasuke was up to and saw him messing with the fax machine. Scrunching her face, she rushed forward, almost tripping over her feet. When she reached Sasuke, she peered around his side, and the first thing that caught her attention was the paper in his hands. On that paper, was a text that was so familiar to what she had spoken of the day before that she knew exactly what the words were without her reading it again, either out loud or in her head.

Feeling her cheeks flush, Sakura remained absolutely stunned— frozen to the ground, unmoving. How could she forget? Why didn't she end the message when that guy started feeling her up? Why didn't she just snoop when he was sleeping and deleted the message first hand? Then she wouldn't be in this situation! Suddenly, the noise of crumbling paper reached Sakura's ears but she didn't make a move to look up. She stared blankly at the fax machine that interpreted her message.

Sasuke, on the other hand, dropped his hand as the crumbled ball of paper hit the floor with a soft thud. Glancing slightly to his side, he knew Sakura was in some sort of shock— of course, why wouldn't she? He had just read her voice mail on fine print. It was simple, he wasn't there to save Sakura when she needed it, but she had rescued him from a terrible fever. Gritting his teeth, Sasuke balled his hands into fists, jabbing his skin with the tip of his finger nails, hoping to feel some kind of pain. Or was it guilt? Sasuke breathed out slowly, how could he be so stupid? He should have just covered up his illness and pretended to be alright, so that he would've at least accompany Sakura wherever she might've gone; and without attracting perverted predators.

Taking calming breaths, Sasuke knew she would've to talk sooner or later about this. They could report it to the police or at least sentence a claim to the train station police that are on duty for mauling up circus predators. On another note, if this was a really big problem set to all women of society, getting touched or the other way around, he might have to bring this issue to court. After all, he has dealt with this sort of situation before, being a lawyer and all.

Sighing, Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and turned to Sakura at last, "Sakura?"

She didn't seem to hear him, probably still in a daze from what he had discovered… or how he had discovered what had happened to her. He knew the feeling— it was pretty surreal, especially how the machine could translate such noises in the background and to top it off, depict another being's voice including Sakura's. Irate, almost. He felt unbelievably unsatisfied. _If only…_ Closing his eyes for a second, he remained impassive until he couldn't take anymore of this awful, detached silence she was giving him.

"Sakura," Sasuke began before interrupting the silence with a hacking of coughs. Sakura, whom finally snapped out from her distress, didn't take a glance at Sasuke who had fallen to his knees, covering his mouth with his hand as he coughed hard behind it. Sakura budged, feeling the adrenaline rushing through her body and all Sakura wanted to do was to get some fresh air. That sounded like a good idea and so, Sakura scattered to the door and disappeared with Sasuke calling after her.

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Standing up, Sasuke brushed his sleeve across his mouth, and quickly dashed out the house, after hearing his front door bang shut.

Not knowing which way she ran to, Sasuke ignored his coughs and spun around, calculating how far she would've gotten if she went the opposite way from the train station or the other way exiting his neighborhood. Letting out a small curse, he raked his hands through his hair and circled around, his eyes roaming the streets and houses.

Bewildered at the situation he was in; Sasuke had to think fast, for him and for Sakura's safety. Who knows who would grab a broken-down, dishearten girl who doesn't know her way around? "SAKURA!"

He couldn't continue like this, his coughs were getting worst than it already has been the day before. Maybe he shouldn't have checked the fax; maybe he should've checked it later when she wasn't around… but, how was he supposed to know? How come she hid this from him? He could have helped her! He was a link, an important role, somebody who can win a case and still have more files pile on top of his shoulders— more burdens, but still! He would get them done, nothing to worry about afterwards. But this wasn't a case, and Sasuke couldn't deal with this issue without having the facts. No, no; he **has** the facts— the proof that she had almost been violated (technically 'almost').

"Mister?" A squeaky voice made its way to his ears.

Sasuke blinked. Did he hear correctly? Was someone calling for him or was it his mind playing tricks on him? Taking a huff of cold air, Sasuke shook his head sadly. He knew he wasn't tired, so what could be the problem? Was he going crazy?

"Yo, mister!" The squeaky voice bounced off walls of the rows of houses. Sasuke turned, realizing the voice was behind him, after all. There, walking towards him was a small boy, about six or seven years old wearing overalls with a red and white striped T-shirt, holding a Popsicle in one hand. As he got closer to Sasuke, the little boy stopped walking and stared up at Sasuke with a boring expression on his face. He then turned the direction of the entrance to his neighborhood and pointed. "She went that way."

Sasuke raised his eye brow at the child and wondered if the boy was lost or pretending to be of some help. He also wasn't sure if the kid had confused him with someone else but after glancing around, it pretty much results them beingthe only ones outside, for that matter. "Uh… excuse me?"

"I saw. The girl that came from your house, with weird hair; she went that way."

Staring down at the small kid, Sasuke wasn't sure if he should be taking his word for granted but how could he deny this kid's description of Sakura? She did have a rare color for hair: pink and not many people have that kind of root color.

"Aren't you going to go after her?" The kid pointed out, taking a lick of his pop, which was now melting all over his hand.

Sasuke was about to retort but then he felt a cough storm up his throat and itched to be let out but not wanting to disrupt his search, pointing out how sick he is— Sasuke gave the kid a wary look before taking a few steps towards the direction of where Sakura might have run off to.

"Good grief…" The kid mumbled, "If I wasn't mistaken, I think I now understand my little sister."

Sasuke chuckled, knowing what the kid was implying. It wasn't hard to make note of— it was unique, a cliché almost, where a guy runs after a woman he loves before she escapes through his grasp. "Thanks."

The kid shrugged and continued on his way, ignoring the fact that he was being watched closely. After a mild distance, Sasuke quickly broke the spell and ran off to find Sakura.

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Sasuke had to hand it to the kid; he really did help him out. After scavenging different neighborhoods, and passing a few allies on the way— he had made it half way past an old supermarket that was on the border line of the highway. He stopped to take a breather and found her, sitting on a small hill near a ditch that hence exits the city.

Walking steadily towards her, he stood adjacent to her small form and decided it best to crouch to her level and talk to her the best he could without her up and running again. No, he had to calm her… hopefully she is calm by the time he said her name.

It was quiet between them; she wasn't disturbed when he called out to her. Sasuke sighed, swinging his gaze to the sky that was now a hue of blush red instead of the bright blue from early that morning. Swallowing, Sasuke remained quiet, thinking to himself as he linked his arms around his knees and waited for Sakura to speak.

"Sorry." Sakura announced softly, protruding the silence.

Sakura sat there, guilty of charge. She knew why she ran; she knew he would lose sight of her; she knew she would lose sight of herself. She didn't expect him to find her though, but he did. Swallowing hard, she made a quick glance towards Sasuke and gasped inwardly at the sight that made her melt inside.

Sasuke sat there, with his mind elsewhere. He wasn't in this world, but she knew clearly that he was in her world— and that meant something at least. Noticing the sky had changed during her absence, Sakura felt sad that she had wasted a whole day and didn't get to do much, nothing counted as productive.

Turning his head, Sasuke was still lost in his thoughts, wondering what he would do if he were Sakura and he was faced with this kind of situation. Of course, he might've run away if he wasn't manly to stand his ground. But Sakura wasn't manly; she's simply a person who takes things for granted. Okay, maybe he's hanging on a thin line, but he felt a small tug inside his head; Sakura is an open person who likes to express her emotions rather than seal it shut tightly, and away it goes.

"I just…" Sakura started out slowly, inhaling a breath, "needed some space."

Sasuke nodded understandingly, "I bet."

Sakura threw out a laugh, "Yeah, sorry."

It wasn't awkward as she thought it would have been; surprisingly, she was glad he didn't say anything to encourage her to talk— he's probably used to this, she thinks, revealing a small smile to no one in particular. "I… don't know where to start!" She laughed at herself.

Sasuke glanced at her, his eyes flickering as he spoke, "Take all the time you need. Trust me, you got plenty." He chuckled softly at his choice of words.

Sakura's face filled with color as a quick shot flash through her mind. Shaking her head at the sudden unwanted memory, Sakura lifted her hand and brought it in front of her; staring, she recalled how small her hand is, compared to the pervert's… Shivering at the mere mention of the intruder, Sakura dropped her hand and stared off into the horizon, the sun finally setting behind the country's hilltops.

Even at this content moment they both were in, Sasuke felt his chest tightens. Taking in a big breath, he slowly exhaled out. The coughs were coming fast and harsh this time— Sasuke can't remember the last time he got sick or who took care of him. Putting aside a cough, Sasuke hung his head to relieve himself from a tiny rumble of his throat and breathed out slightly, but little cough.

Sakura didn't say anything to point out that he was still sick. He guessed she was still faze, to the point that she didn't notice the little things around her: the time, the sky turning from blue to a tint of pink, the way his fingers tiptoed its way towards her hand, and laying it on top of hers.

The minute she realizes something's not quite right, she eyes her front, her peripheral vision and spots Sasuke dozing off in his own little world. Sakura felt bad for keeping him out this long… an answer trickles in her mind— Oh my goodness, he's still sick! She thinks, her mind blaring. She keeps her motions at bay but all of a sudden, when she moved her hand, her hand was tightly wound in the hand of another. Sakura shifted her gaze down at their hands and gulps. How can this be? When did he hold her hand without her noticing? Did she not notice anything happening?

With a swift of his head, Sasuke's eyes fell upon hers. Gasping a little, Sakura swallowed once more, new thoughts erupting inside her head. She could feel her chest pounding and her cheeks begin to heat up. Breaking the gaze, she looks away quickly, hoping Sasuke didn't catch on.

All the meanwhile, her stomach doesn't rely much on emotions and just does what it's programmed to do. It growled, hungrily. Sakura snapp3e her attention down to her stomach and quickly catches Sasuke staring as well had left her deadpanned, gaping like a fish as her face reddens in embarrassment.

Sasuke chuckled.

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"It's getting a bit late," Sakura announces, and starts to get up but what surprised her was how Sasuke wouldn't let her. Well, let go of her hand. He simply sat there, his eyes meeting hers. He didn't say anything at first but then slowly let out a heavy breath. Dread zapped her, her mind reeling in negative thoughts. Did she bore him by taking precious time away from him? Did he have work today? Was there something behind those heavy breaths, heavy sighs he's been leading her on for? Oh no…

"The voicemail…" He began, tightening his grip on her hand, just in case she decides to run off. "We can fix that, you know?"

Sakura, baffled by his request, pondered slightly on the matter on why they were there, sitting beside a stinky ditch, on the outskirts of the city. "We?"

"You… me." He whispered but then his voice hitched and he let out a terrible cough. Sakura knelt down to meet his level, her face filled with concern as she laid her free hand on Sasuke's forehead to feel his temperature. Good, he doesn't have a fever but he might later on if he doesn't get treated right away than staying in this forsaken chilly night.

"Sakura, your face is red." Sakura noted out, eyeing her after she drops her other hand away from his forehead.

"F-from the cold." She stuttered, and proved to him her arm that revealed Goosebumps.

Sasuke, feeling a bit stupid for pointing out the obvious and having the answer bouncing off him like an arrow piercing through the back of his skull. "You're right, let's go back then. _I_ don't want you catching a cold."

That broke the tension, even if it wasn't intentional. Sakura laughed aloud, shaking her head and giving him a weird look. "Well excuse me; if we don't play the game right, I wonder who's going to end up the patient last?"

Sasuke felt his lip curve and smirked, "If you're _patient_ enough to last, you'll know."

Sakura laughed again, "Har-har! I don't think that's going to happen. We might as well be sick puppies, knowing that we're almost glued together 24/7."

Sasuke snickered at the thought that just popped up in his head and even though he didn't mean to voice it out so loud and clear, so fast that he didn't have the time to think about what he just said, Sakura had paused, stunned.

"You want me to move in with you?"

Great, Sasuke thinks, dumbly. There was no going back now, he might as well just tell her to stay with him because there was no point going back to her house if it was filled with a bad past and the fact that, she had mentioned how she longed to live in the city.

"Well, I never thought of it that way." Sakura thought aloud, her thoughts scattering to past memories. But why go home when she's practically having fun in the city and is with Sasuke, most of the time? Anyway, no one is at home— not her parents, that very frank. Sai, too! Sakura cursed silently inside her, his name still bothered her… but she promised that he wouldn't get between her and Sasuke or anyone she then wants to get closer to. Shaking her head from the thought, she smiles gently at Sasuke, "Okay."

If he was surprised, Sasuke didn't show it, well at least not his eyes but his whole body jerked forward and startled Sakura to move back only to slide down the hill, unbalanced. With their hands linked, Sasuke refrain Sakura from sliding down further into the murky water. "Sorry, you okay?"

Sakura laughs nervously as Sasuke pulls her up. Now that both of them are standing, Sasuke asks her again, concern filled his tone.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks." Sakura brushing her free hand against her pants. The mere events that happened today made her smile without reason to. She turned to face Sasuke, a question that propose its opinion in her head blurted out, "Why?"

"Why?" Sasuke asked, confused now at her question. What was she referring to? Was it the fall? He answered slowly and meekly, "Because I accidentally made you fall and saved you from being a stink bomb?"

Catching unto the last word, Sakura glared at him and hit his arm playfully, "That's not what I meant!"

"Oh, could have fooled me." Sasuke grinned, his eye brows wiggling. "I didn't understand what you were asking."

"Why do you want me to move in with you?" Sakura asked, feeling a bit shy now, "Why me?"

Because you rock my world, Sasuke thoughts joked. Sasuke snorted, if the answer wasn't obvious. "You make my house feel alive."

Blinking at his response, Sakura pouted, "That's all? That's why you want me to move in with you?"

"Yes and no," Sasuke pauses, "We should get going." He didn't really need to give her a full description on his answer because he got her answer; she gave him her approval to moving in with him. For all he cares, she can leave her house back at town and save it for who knows what— an emergency, he guessed. Without her say in the matter, he pulled her back into the city boundaries and left her pondering on his unanswered.

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A/N: Okay guys, I'm stopping here for the meantime. Apparently my writer's block isn't jumping off the cliff just yet, but hopefully I get rid of it soon. I'm hoping for more reviews, new reviews, plenty of readers or followers. Thanks for reading Mysterious Found.


	16. Chapter 16 (part 1)

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

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A/N: Okay, okay, okay! I know I've been away or in your terms 'slacking' but hey, I'm here now. I just had to finish my trilogy to The Dare (if you guys are interested, that's a Saku/Sasu fic too). With that story done and away, my writer's block has been torn down for the time being. So I hope this chapter is to your liking and please keep reading and reviewing! Thanks a lot!

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That night he took her out to the most beautiful spot she ever wished to see in the city. Lights and how it illuminated the dark sky filled with dots of white, stars. They were on the top floor of the sky scraper building that was connected to the planetarium in which Sasuke had taken Sakura to. It was a good combination actually since she did say before she wished to see the lights of the city and how it always amazed her. Well, now here they were seated at a small round table, with a candle light sitting between them and two plates discarded of leftover food.

Sakura smiles softly, the dim light elucidating the peach color of her porcelain skin as she flicks her emerald eyes to his onyx. He feels a small smile tug on his lips as her eyes seems to communicate a 'thank you' in silence.

He is a genius, besides his high school rival, Nara Shikamaru. He sometimes wondered what happened to that lazy guy. Ironic that whatever Nara did to avoid achievement, he was always the top student, as himself.

"I don't suppose this special dinner was pulled by strings, mm?" Sakura's voice softly protruded Sasuke's train of thoughts. He blinks and gently grabs his glass of red wine and takes a sip.

Chuckling, his eyes flickered never breaking his gaze with her jade ones. "In the city, it's not all about strings, my dear."

Sakura suppresses a smile as she quietly urges Sasuke to continue his explanation. He takes another sip of wine before placing it down on the table.

"In the city, it's all about survival." He leans forward, his voice husky and the scent of wine wafted between the two. "Lucky for you, you were raised in the rural area where you don't have to do much but sit back and dream."

At this, Sakura sits back in her chair and gazes dully at Sasuke who went on with his speech. What did he know, this city man? She quirks her brow as he finishes his example. "Well, that's interesting despite the fact that the rural had more important roles than the city."

Sasuke hums and waves his hand at Sakura to continue her objection. "You think… we- _farmers_ dream of a better chance of life, despite owning yards of lands while producing food and such. Meanwhile the city has its limit of making dreams come true, like night clubs and buildings with pent houses on the top floor."

Sasuke chuckles at Sakura's suggestions and listened carefully as she tears each one of them down and contradicts his theory. "So you and everyone else who lived in the city their whole lives should thank the farmers who did most of the deeds."

Sakura grins, eyeing Sasuke who seemed to take her words in consideration. "It's not everyday I meet someone who is clever and knowledgeable as you are."

Brightening at his compliment, Sakura smiles and leans towards Sasuke, "Oh Sasuke, I now knows who to go to for rehabilitation."

Sasuke smirked, "Is that a compliment?"

Sakura only grinned at him with a straight face, "Yes, Sasuke, whatever comes out from this mouth—" She points at her lips, "is a compliment, only for you."

Sasuke snickered, "Oh, being sarcastic, are we? I don't suppose you really bought my idea of paying for this dinner. I hope you brought your wallet with you."

Sakura gaped, her grin dropping to a frown. Sasuke laughed and shook his head, "I'm kidding— already been taken care of."

Sakura gasped, and shot a glare at Sasuke, giving him a teasing push, "It better have or else I'd think you were trying to flirt with me."

He huffs, "Whose flirting?"

Sakura chuckles, "Exactly."

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After they were done with dinner, Sasuke took her on a tour around the sky scraper, pointing at the sky above, pointing out which star constellation was which. Sakura, who couldn't see how the stars connected but also knew they were there as seen in the books, just nodded and smile sweetly at him.

The night went on smoothly, especially the dinner planned by Sasuke who was having slight trouble covering up his recovery. Despite feeling a bit sick to the stomach, Sakura hadn't notice any changes from Sasuke like how she didn't know he was sick until she came back to his house. This kind of reminded him of earlier that day when Sakura ran out after she heard the voicemail; he really had to do something about it to make her feel chirpier.

"You know what's funny," Sakura said suddenly, bringing Sasuke's mind out of the gutter. "I got hit on by a pervert and saved by a cop who is a pervert."

She laughed as she started telling Sasuke the episode with the two perverts. Sasuke chuckled to himself, having her words sink in. "What was the coincidence of meeting two perverts in one day? Hah, Naruto was right— I should've listened to him but then I wouldn't be here taking care of you."

Sasuke exhaled silently and averted his gaze to the window that displayed the city lights below and the reflection of Sakura glancing at him through the window. "Sasuke?" She took a moment to exhale as Sasuke slowly arched a brow, "What are you thinking about right now?"

"Well, there's a lot going through my mind but I'll just tell you the basics on what I'm going to do." Sasuke turns his head and lays a hand on Sakura's shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze of support, "First off, I'm going to sic the police on that man who almost violated you—"

Sakura shot him a weird gaze, a blush evident on her cheeks as the word 'violate' sunk into her mind, "What about the perverted cop?"

"Sakura, not every police can be so…" Sasuke paused and grinned, "Innocent."

At this, Sakura shot him a disbelief look. Did she hear correctly? Was Sasuke protecting this perverted cop that didn't do much than save her?

Sasuke continued, "Like you said, it's his job to be both on guard. Besides, I _am_ a lawyer."

Sakura smiles, remembering the first time Crayon told her that Sasuke was his lawyer and the second time of how Naruto explained to her about Sasuke taking over his grandfather's building and still keeping his dream real.

He probably is a great lawyer, strict and professional— although she hasn't seen him done any cases with her around, at least maybe now if he brings her case to court, she'll get to see how proficient he is defending her. The thought of her day on the train encountering two perverts and calling a complaint brought a distressful thought to her mind.

_Sakura looked hard at the number nine and as if her prayers had been answered, the operator had spoke asking for detail about the crime. "Yes, there is a pervert on the train I'm riding in." Sakura took a breath, "What? Of course, why wouldn't I? …no, he just suddenly—! Look, sir, the pervert didn't look much older than forty and he has dark, disheveled hair… no, no; but his hair did split revealing one of his eyes! Yes! His eyes were mauve!"_

_Sakura eyes blazed as the man on the other line laughed, saying that there were no perverts on the Konoha train because it's safe with tight security. Sakura growled and yelled into the phone, "Are you serious! You're supposed to be of some help! This is not help, don't make me report you, sir; I will if I have to!"_

_Then the line went dead. Sakura looked at the white lit screen, her teeth grinding in irritation. "What the—"_

The man's voice was still audible in her mind; his words engraving through her skull that made her grind her teeth in response. Groaning aloud, Sakura smacking the palm of her hand against her forehead, "Something else happened though."

Sasuke pursed his lips, wondering what Sakura left out in her episode. She breathed out a rough breath before placing her hand on the window, feeling the cold air seeping against the surface of the glass. "I called nine, complaining about the pervert. A man answered but he told me the station was evacuated of perverts and laughed at me when I said I'd report him before hanging up. Gosh, I'm so stupid sometimes and he should laugh!"

Sasuke sees her tap of her finger nails on the window, earning a low three beat rhythm— tap-tap tap, tap-tap tap. Taking a step forward, he places his hand on top of Sakura's on the window, quieting her taps. "You're not stupid. We'll backtrack and bring those guys to court."

Sakura laughed harshly, shaking her head at him, "Yes _I_ am. And no, you don't understand…I forgot to ask his name."

Silence engulfed between them.

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To make this moment any less awkward, Sakura coughed and thanked Sasuke again with a smile for taking her out, "It has been incredibly amazing, I'm glad I got the opportunity to meet you."

Sasuke's lips falter into a frown, she was ignoring her issue when she knew if he can take her case to court, he'd win. "You know running from this won't help the fact that you won't be riding any more trains from now on."

Heaving a breath that seemed to hitch in her throat, Sakura looks away annoyed that he won't let her situation go. Biting her bottom lip, she lifts her hand to brush away a loose strand of her hair from her face and tugs it behind her ear. "Give me the benefit of the doubt; I'll have to get over it sooner or later."

Sasuke turns and sighs loudly, shaking his head at her in disapproval. "Allow me to bring this to court, Sakura. Trust me, I can clear your case and sentence those guys for their wrongdoings."

Was he speaking from his mouth or from experience? Sakura wondered, wrapping her arms around herself. Sometimes words just happens to slip out most people's mouth without them thinking them through; sometimes it'd be her but Sasuke didn't need to know that. Shaking her head, "No, it's alright. It's over, I wasn't hurt or anything."

"Sakura," Sasuke stated, drawing her name out. He gazed sternly into her dull emerald eyes, concern lacing with his black orbs. Looking closely, he observes how Sakura stands uncomfortably with her arms embracing herself, her eyes averting every time he tries to look her way or sometimes she'd cast her eyes down to her feet so that he couldn't read what she was thinking. Reaching out, Sasuke slowly places his hand on Sakura's shoulders and trails down her arm, taking her hand. She was shaking invisibly, the tiny trembles evident that she was thinking too deep on this matter, scared even. "You're petrified though."

Sakura's eyes flickered, widening an inch at his speculation, how did he know she asked herself? Locking onto his charcoal orbs that seemed to read into her soul, Sakura couldn't help but feel the sensation of heat rush to her cheeks and the embarrassment following behind.

"Please don't regret this," Sasuke went on, taking a step closer to her. He wanted to help her, cure her of her messed up life. After meeting her a week ago, now entering the second week— he got to know some background about her. "I'll help you," He lowered his voice, almost whispering for only her ears to hear, "I'll be beside you the whole time that way you won't feel alone and scared."

Parting her lips with a soft 'pop' noise, her overwhelmed expression had turned tables and a small tear had escaped her eyes. Blinking in surprise, she hadn't noticed she turned on the waterworks. "What if I forget what they look like? I don't know who the receiver was on the phone!"

"Your mind is still fresh though, you don't have to remember the guy's face nonetheless know his name… you can still recognize his voice, right?" Sasuke urged, lacing his fingers with Sakura's and slipping his other hand around her shoulders, pulling her closer into his embrace. "We'll find them, don't worry."

Sakura lets out a small whimper before slowly wrapping her arms around his waist, gripping tightly to his dress shirt, "What if we can't? This is a big city, you know." She looks up, her face dripping with her tears, "Like you said before, this city isn't all about strings but survival— that pervert could be gone by now, and we'll never catch him."

Sasuke takes a moment to view her profile, before reaching up with his hand and brush aside a tear that was starting to slide down. Leaning down, he gently planted a kiss on her forehead earning Sakura to close her eyes half way, startled by his actions and yet relieved at his comfort. "Like I said before, we'll back track."

Suddenly a song erupted from Sasuke's pocket, interrupting the moment between Sakura and him. Blanching at the ring tone, Sakura lets go of Sasuke's waist line and allows Sasuke to reach into his pants pocket, pulling out his phone and glancing at the caller id. Upon answering, a certain loud voice that only belonged to one particular bouncer cut Sasuke short, "HEY TEME!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the nickname and sighed into the phone, mumbling, "Way to ruin the moment, dope."

Standing aside as Sasuke spoke to Naruto on the phone, Sakura felt a tug inside her chest. Was it guilt for walking out on Naruto at his hometown? Or was it the thought of Sasuke kissing her forehead for the second time. Either way, the corner of her lips curved up showing Sasuke, as he turned to her that she was feeling a little bit better, thanks to him. Sasuke couldn't help but smile back.

"Don't worry, she's with me." He responded back to Naruto, rolling his eyes again at whatever he and Naruto was interacting about. "Apparently… You should feel guilty for not inviting me, you lowlife dummy. Having no respect for me after all I've done for you to get where you are."

So, it was like that, huh? Sakura thinks, Naruto thought more for her sake than staying home and catching Sasuke's cold. Although it was the other way around, Sasuke caught her cold instead, so then why didn't Naruto wanted Sasuke to come visit his hometown with her and Naruto? Did they have a fight at Sasuke's meeting or something because it seemed Naruto was lacking honesty towards his best friend? No wonder Sasuke didn't think any better of Naruto, seeing that Naruto was acting more like a coward than a man. Imagining Naruto blanching on the other end at being called names made her giggle as Sasuke turned his attention back to her, shooting her a weird look which was more directed for Naruto than himself.

"Is that all you were calling for, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, changing his tone as he listens to Naruto ramble on, pause and then before Naruto could yell, holds the phone away from his ear.

"SASUKE, MY MAN, YOU DIDN'T CALL ME DOPE OR STUPID," Naruto's voice was loud and clear which Sakura bet could echo off the walls or worst, crack the window they were standing adjacent to. "I LOVE YOU!"

Grunting and twitching at the thought, Sasuke made sure to hold annoyance and malice in his tone, "Don't. First Crayon, now you—, who knows, next will be Sakura."

At this, Sakura's jaw drops at Sasuke's joke, her eyes widening in effect at the same. Grounding her hands into fists, she punched Sasuke's arm which she missed when he turned sideways and instead punched him in the chest. She grinned when he faked a wince.

"WHOA, SAKURA? NO WAY!" Naruto exclaims, probably crossing his fingers hoping Sakura wasn't gay, "AND CRAYON, HE'S GAY? SINCE WHEN?"

Sasuke chuckles at Naruto's stupidity, rubbing his chest from where Sakura attacked him, "Since he laid eyes on you after you gave him a "manly" hug."

Sakura covers her mouth from laughing out loud, her eyes still widen at the fact that Sasuke was gossiping about his friend behind his back. She mouths to Sasuke, 'really?' Sasuke, seeing this laughs softly, shaking his head at her.

"Speak of the devil," Naruto gasps into the receiver, softly and yet, even from where Sakura stood could hear him curse on the other hand, "UH, HEY I GOTTA GO NOW, TALK TO YOU LATER TEME, AND DON'T YOU DARE DO ANYTHING PERVERTED TO SAKURA CHAN! SHE'S STILL TOO INNOCENT!"

Sasuke mentally palm his forehead at Naruto's choice of words. He glances back at Sakura who blushed at what Naruto had shouted into the phone. Sighing into the phone, he told Naruto off, saying Sakura was right beside him and Naruto, being the idiot blond he is, screamed hi to Sakura and asked her out again before rush talking with loud booming music increasing in the background before hanging up.

Flipping his phone shut Sasuke leans back against the window's surface, his neck craned so he can stare at the sky light. Swallowing, he closes his eyes and takes in the silence between him and Sakura before she lets out a small giggle.

Reopening his eyes, he feels her presence beside him, also leaning against the window. "Well, that's Naruto for you, always acting first without thinking things through."

"Ha, sounds like someone I know." Sakura chuckles reminding herself that she had insulted her own self.

Sasuke scoffs, "Who, you?"

Sakura ashes as she drops her smile, earning Sasuke an incredulous look. Smacking herself mentally, how could she reveal that part of herself to him? She should just play the part and laugh it off, "Hah, just kidding!"

"Liar," Sasuke grins, taking Sakura's revelation in account. He turns towards her, bringing his hand to his head and raking his raven locks back from his eyes. "I'll believe you when I hear it."

Sakura jumps from leaning on the window and paces to the table where they sat for dinner, turning around to face Sasuke. "Not happening because it's the truth."

"Sakura, we all know you're like an open book, easy to read and pass up." Sasuke straightens up, walking towards Sakura.

"Ha, don't judge a book by its cover, I may surprise you." Sakura brightens, shooting Sasuke a different but mischievous grin that he hasn't seen her smile like that before. Quirking a brow to what she may have in mind, he assumed she was just bluffing him into thinking she was different than what he thought of her.

Not falling for her façade, he stuffs his hands into his pocket and stops in front of Sakura, holding onto her gaze; never breaking away to notice a loud siren outside was passing the building. Instead, he felt slightly tedious of their adventure today, and wanted to rest somewhere but knowing her, she might not appreciate her night ending so soon. "You know what; I know a great place we can head to before heading back to my place."

"Oh?" Sakura asks, her voice rising in curiosity as Sasuke continues, "But you might not be interested—"

Rudely interrupting Sasuke before he could finish or she could hear anymore to what he was trying to tell her, she stepped forward closing their personal bubble and jumps in, pumping with pride, "Whatever you set on the table, bring it— I can take it."

Sasuke scoffs, rolling his eyes at her, "Obviously you're not going to hear the rest of what I have to say. Like I said before, always acting first without thinking things through just like that dope."

Sakura's jaw drops as her mind races to think of a retort but found none as she shot a glare at him, "Shut up." Sakura feeling stupid for deciding things to quickly, crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes up at Sasuke, whom was enjoying this moment more than she was, "So…? Where and when?"

Chuckling, Sasuke shakes his head sadly at her confidence building up behind the look of her eyes. He shot her a different kind of smirk that he only uses when he wins a game of pool, one that she didn't recognize even if it was a bit familiar in some ways. She raised her eyes brows at him. "Well, I know a great café nearby that might catch your interest, in spite having a jazz band in the background, interested?"

Sakura stood there, thinking and imagining what could be so great about a jazz café compared to any other cafés. For a fact, this one had old fashioned music from a trumpet while the other cafes were playing songs of the modern time; at least this one Sasuke had mention must be different if he was the one to suggest it to her.

"Well then, how well is your vocal range?" He asked her.

What? Baffled by the sudden question, Sakura rolled her eyes to the sky light and answered quickly before her thoughts could form a real answer, "Um fine I guess, depending I am a soprano and alto for different songs."

He nodded slowly, his mind calculating a plan as his eyes flickering to hers before averting away. She seemed to feel the sudden stare and glanced over at him. "Why do you ask?"

Sasuke shook his head, and motioned to his mouth with his hand. Turning his hand clockwise, he then waves his hand to the side as if signifying that he threw away a key. Sakura pouted, "You're really not going to tell me what you're up to?"

He gave her another unfamiliar grin before retreating across the room and towards the elevator. Sakura, engrossed at Sasuke's sudden and unexpected actions led her following behind him. Sasuke pushed the button for down and waited for the elevator doors to open. Pouting at being ignored, Sakura playfully smacked Sasuke's arm, pleading for him to at least give her a hint but instead he shook his head as the doors open. He steps inside the elevator and at the same time swiftly slips his hand intertwining around hers and pulls her to him as the door closes behind her. Chuckling once again, he responded by whispering huskily into her ear, "My lips are sealed… for now, that is."

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Sasuke didn't drive this time, instead they had walked from his house to the planetarium which was only a mile away, and to her she needed the exercise. Now Sasuke was leading her to a café that plays Jazz, her mind in frenzy as her eyes wanders each street signs, memorizing the way to the café. If she does like it in the end, it wouldn't be bad visiting it again.

They crossed the street with Sasuke holding her close to him as they reached the other side. He led her a couple of blocks ways away from the planetarium that Sakura practically lost her sight of direction, tripping over a crack that came out of no where and yanking Sasuke down with her.

Before she could land face first into the cement, Sasuke hauled her back up asking her if she was alright. Nodding embarrassingly, she smiles goofily and tells him to forget about it, nonetheless never mention it to her face, ever. He smiles and nods before they continue on their way to this unique café.

Finally arriving at their destination, Sakura noticed the café didn't look like any small coffee shop— it had vines decorating the front windows, bushes almost hiding the glass from tourists or people trying to glimpse inside. A wooden door was painted beige, complimenting the greenery and the small flowers protruding from the vines. Amazed at this jungle café, Sasuke pushed her forward, opening the door and leading her inside.

Not only did this café give her a different feeling, but the fact that Sasuke was acting slightly mysterious to her. What was he hiding? This wasn't the café he was talking about, right? It seems too gloomy as Sakura observes the shop from within. An old fashioned register sits on a podium that was facing adjacent to the window of trees and stood next to the door. There wasn't a bell on the door either that signaled a customer has come in. Sakura walks further, her eyes wandering the room. On her left was a small corridor leading to two doors on opposite sides of the hallway, possibly the bathrooms. At the center of the room was a small stage where she assumes the Jazz band plays their instruments and a couple row of seats, indicating that not a lot of people visits this café.

"It seems… abandoned," Sakura reasoned, turning her attention to Sasuke who had let go of her hand and was now walking to one of the bathrooms. Feeling a bit left out, she followed behind.

"This way," He nods his head towards the door on the right. It could be the men's room but why would he lead her inside? Or it could be the women's which is pretty ridiculous seeing Sasuke not bothered at the fact that he'll be invading restroom policies. Opening the door he walks in, holding the door open for her.

Sighing in result, she walks in and is surprised to see a staircase leading to the ceiling. This is getting a little too strange, for her liking but in another way, she found herself being pulled by Sasuke's mysterious intentions. Climbing the stairs now, Sakura couldn't place her finger on why Sasuke was being so unreasonable— not wanting her to know what he was up to. Odd now that she came to realize, the unbalance feelings of discomfort is pushed aside by a mild interest showing on her face. Biting her lip from smiling too much, she stops at the top as Sasuke reaches with both hands to the ceiling and push open a hidden hatch door.

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What she saw was not what she was expecting at all? Actually this sight she was gawking at topped the room downstairs. Instead of a jungle café, this café was beautifully decorated with vines, roses with thorns blossoming from each twist. The interior was bigger than the shop intended to look from outside. On the far left corner of the room was a medium size stage where a drum set was sitting, two guitars— acoustic and bass sitting in its holsters and a man standing in the center blowing into his trumpet, a tune settling amongst the audience whom were seated in different spots of the café. Further from where they stood were a few waiters and waitresses accompanying their customers, busying themselves to prepare drinks and carry out what seems to be menus?

"Surprised?" Sasuke's voice broke Sakura's amazement. She turns to him, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Yes!" Sakura exclaims, clasping onto his arm and pulling him down to peck his cheek. Startled at her sudden actions, Sasuke widens his eyes as she blurts out, "I was wrong and you we're right."

"Surrendering too soon, eh?" Sasuke swallows, covering up his distractedness and pushing away a thought of pulling her into a kiss, one he would enjoy doing. "Again, Sakura, you're playing with fire here."

"Oh shut up," Sakura pouts and sticks her tongue at him, glaring at him teasingly. "Let's go," She motions, climbing over the stairs and walking on the floorboards to another podium that held under a register.

"Hello, how may I help you?" A waitress waltzes over, smiling at her two new customers.

Sakura parted her lips but before she could answer, Sasuke beat her to it, "A table for my lady and me."

The waitress nods, taking two menus from behind the podium and leads them to an empty table, a great view from the stage. Once they were seated and had ordered two glasses of water, Sakura grabs her menu and opens it up, scrolling through what dishes she wanted served to her.

Snickering unnoticed by Sakura, Sasuke leans forward on the table, his hands laced together under his chin, "Did you decided on what you wanted?"

Sakura slowly sets the menu down, looking up and shot Sasuke a confused expression, "But this menu is filled with songs?"

"Yes," He grins sexily at her, his eyes taunting hers as they widened an inch, "and you're singing."


	17. Chapter 17 (part 2)

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

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A/N: How many days have it been since I've last updated? Since I don't remember or have any reason to lie— for the past week, I've been working on my new story, Kind Soul Frees (SasuXSaku, rate: M; check it out if you're interested). I think multi-tasking is my weakness since I keep coming up with new ideas for different stories; I have three other stories besides MF to keep up with. Well for now, here's Chapter 17 part 2.

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She sat there, eyes unblinking as she allowed her wide emerald eyes stare into his calm, onyx eyes filled with disbelief. If she was drinking at that point, she would have either coughed on her drink or spit it out on someone. Did she hear right? He brought her here so she could sing for him and everyone in this room? B-but she didn't know any jazzy songs! She never went to a karaoke with friends or S— or anyone who would seem interested in singing.

Suddenly her menu slipped from her grasp as it hit the table with a clatter against the vase that sat in the center of the table. Sasuke swiftly steadied the glass vase before it tipped over, never breaking her gaze.

"Y-you want me to sing?" She started, finally blinking as the thought of singing in front of everyone sunk into her mind. Could she do it? She thinks what if she sucked? She hasn't ever sung in front of anyone before except in front of the mirror at home or whenever she did her laundry like her father did.

_A tall man with a crazy lavender hairdo sat against the open patio, a basket beside him and a pile of white clothes at his feet. He pulled a shirt up and started folding it on his lap while whistling a slow song. _

_Sakura, by the age of four, had walked by and only stopped to hear her father hum to his song. Curious to what song he was singing, Sakura poked her head out from around the wall and questioned her dad what he was singing. _

"_It's one of your mother's favorite songs." He told her, waving Sakura over to give her hair a small shuffle. "It's called 'Fly me to the moon'."_

_She giggled at how the titled sounded silly, "How does it go?"_

She remembered how he taught her to sing slow and carefully so that she knew when to breathe and pause as the song went on. At first she couldn't really get it right until her dad told her to clap the beats out when she wasn't singing. Time to time she started getting the hang of it and started singing it around the house and sometimes hummed it during school. But when her parents left for their missionary work overseas, it was just her and since then, the song she had took so much time to learn started disappearing from her head until now.

"What do I get out of this?" She asked, glancing down at his hands as he leaned back into his chair and folded his hands together underneath his chin.

"A good time," He spoke, his voice filled with amusement. Sakura's eyes flickered up to his closed eyes and the song in front of them was playing to the end. He slowly exhaled and reopened his eyes, glancing up through his dark eye lashes at Sakura's jaded eyes, "I was with my grandfather about five years ago when I discovered this café. We were looking around an area to extend his business and we saw this run down place— of course, in the day time they'd have a small band downstairs but it wasn't as… beautiful as this."

A low tapping was audible until it faded and Sakura lifted her hands to clap but as before she could slap her hands together, Sasuke leaned forward and grabbed both her hands. Surprised at his quick reflexes, he voluntarily revealed that that wasn't the way to appreciate a song in this café. "No claps; snaps."

"Snaps?" Sakura questioned and quirked a brow up in confusion before it dawned on her— everyone was snapping lowly instead of clapping.

"Thank you." A steel-gruff voice that belonged to an old man said into the microphone. Sakura's observes as he places down his trombone carefully and picks up a trumpet instead. "Are there any requesters in the crowd today?"

Sakura looked around the tables surrounding the floor and around them— there wasn't much people to begin with except the waiters in the back and a few older couple sitting near them, whispering lowly or staring at each other in complete bliss. "Ah, we do have one. Sir, what is your song?"

Sakura looks around again, trying to see who volunteered to pick a song.

"This young lady wants to sing." A familiar voice Sakura knew too well spoke up and as she looked at him, his hand waved towards her as he smiled at the old performer on the stage. Sakura flushed as she was now the center of attention; she waved shyly and shook her head, "Oh no, I— I don't sing."

"Ah, miss, you don't have to sing… we do poetry if you know any. Or if you know how to play, pick any instrument." The old man on the stage offered, smiling with straight pearly teeth staring at her.

She pursed her lips as she inhaled a gasp. "Uh… oh no, I couldn't."

"Come on miss, no pressure!" The man laughed into the microphone. Sakura blushed not from the encouragement but the dilemma Sasuke had put her through. "Ah, no pun intended." He laughed again.

Sakura glances back at Sasuke who closes his menu and places it on the side of table, not paying her mind. He looks up and sees her gazing at him unsurely. "You'll be fine; besides have fun with it."

"Well…" Sakura thought aloud hesitantly before reconsidering with a small nod. She stood up and walked to the stage, her hand shaking as she took the microphone making it noticeable through the speakers. She bit her lip, ceasing her trembles and swiftly took in the crowd she didn't see before. They were building, slowly creeping in through the hidden door on the ground and making lines at the front. Sakura's heart starts beating fast as she exhales a shaky breath. "H-hello."

No one said anything back which made Sakura the more nervous as she greeted her audience uncomfortably. What could she do? She didn't know what to do; she never done this karaoke thing before. Was she supposed to talk to the crowd before singing or just sing? "I'm sort of new at this so, uh; please don't laugh too much if I suck."

She turns to the old man, biting her lip, "Do you know how to play 'Fly me to the moon'?"

The old man's face brightened up as he lifted a hand and another man behind him started beating on his drums. Sakura's eyes widen at the unexpected start of the song. She quickly looked at Sasuke who smirked where he sat before looking away. "O-okay, here goes nothing." She advised herself under her breath and lifted the microphone to her lips as a small note left the piano behind her. She inhaled and sang forth into the mic— surprised at her own voice as it wafted off the speakers, "Fly me to the moon!"

(A/N: Fly me to the moon – Frank Sinatra)

"Let me play among the stars; let me see what spring is like," Sakura's eyes flew to the back as soon as a sharp whistle shrieked its way to the front, "On a-Jupiter and Mars.  
>In other words, hold my hand."<p>

"In other words, baby, kiss me," She slowly trekked her eyes back to her table while she sang but didn't see Sasuke sitting there anymore. She didn't think she could sing this loud— well other than how the speaker was turned to high, she hasn't heard her voice sing like this in a long time. She felt her nose tingle, _Oh no, please don't make me cry! _

"Fill my heart with song and let me sing for-ever more. You are all I long for— all I worship and adore. In other words, please be true…" She remembered how one point in her life, she found her dad singing this song to her mother in the kitchen as she was preparing dinner. "In other words, I love you."

As soon as she paused in her singing, she allowed the instruments behind her to take over. She felt the first tears slide down her cheeks; she didn't have to know why she was crying. She wished many things like her parents being there hearing her sing their song that her father sang to her mother on her wedding day. It just brought a lot of emotions that Sakura had built through many years.

A tap made known on her shoulder and as she turned, a hand swiftly slid around her waist pulling her close and another hand clasped around her hand and the microphone. She gasped as Sasuke swayed them around the stage and behind them, the loud music got bigger along with a couple of cat calls whistling in the background.

Sakura laughed, tasting the saltiness of her tears as she stared within Sasuke's dark onyx eyes before lifting the microphone to her lips and started singing again, "Fill my heart with song; let me sing for-ever more. You are all I long for, all I worship and adore."

Sasuke let go of her hand for a second and gripped her petite waistline to tip her as she sang, "In other words, please be TRUUUUE!" He slowly lifted her up, emerald and onyx clashing as she wrapped her arm around his neck and started swaying slowly across the stage. Her voice rose as she closed her eyes in effect, "In other words, _in_ other words— I… love…" She paused as the pianist hit three staccatos notes on the piano before she continued with a haughty breath, "you!"

As the song ended, more and more whistles screamed through the café and a wave of loud snaps caught Sakura's attention— she never had this big of an attention before; it was all too new for her. But she did it, she sang in front of strangers including the stranger she had met hitchhiking to the city that one night ago. She laughed, burying her head into his chest, hiding her face from the crowd.

"_You did great." _He whispered, placing his chin on her head and embracing her tighter.

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He knew it was just a song and that she wasn't really singing to him. Why else would she be teary-eyed if it wasn't him she was singing to? He gripped her hand as he led her back to his place, the bright pearl moon grinning down at them as it shined their way back to his house. "Did you have fun?"

Sakura lifted her head from leaning onto his arm and smiled softly up at him, "Yes, I did. Thank you."

They stopped at a stop light, waiting for the pedestrian light to turn green. Sasuke slightly brushed his thumb against the back of her hand, feeling the baby touch of her cold hand. It wasn't as cold as this morning since he was just recovering from his fever the previous day. They began walking across, Sakura leading the way to the other side as his mind was in clarity of zoning out.

"Sasuke…?" Sakura spoke, sounding unsure and shyly like she sounded on that stage. Sasuke turns his head as they stepped on the curve again and walked down the lane. They passed a glass case of a small shop. Sakura paused and placed a hand on the window. Sasuke stopped walking and peered at Sakura staring at the small pups sleeping in a medium sized box.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, wondering what she wanted to ask him. She trailed a finger down the window's display before she turned to him, her eyes cast down to their hands. Sasuke felt her pinky lose its grip on his as she slid her hand out of his grasp and exhaled slowly before she looked at him with determined eyes. "I was thinking… and I decided I want you—"

'_Cause I don't wanna lose you now,_

_I'm lookin' right at the other half of me'_

Sasuke watched as Sakura blinked as a ring tone got louder from her pocket.

'_The vacancy that sat in my heart_

_Is a space that now you hold'_

Sakura took out her phone and looked at the caller id before glancing up at Sasuke. Sasuke locked his jaw as the thought of Naruto calling but nodded anyway.

'_Show me how to fight for now_

_And I'll tell you baby—'_

She flipped her phone opened and answered, "Hello Naruto."

He thought too soon, rolling his eyes as Naruto's loud voice boomed through the ear piece. Sakura flinched, holding her phone away from her ear for a second before speaking into the receiver again, "Oh, I'm sorry Naruto… It's just that I was worried about Sasuke because I think he caught my cold before."

Sasuke perked up as Sakura explained to the knuckle head for ditching him. _Serves him right, that dope! _He thought, his lips forming a smirk.

"_What!_" Sakura exclaimed, her eyes widening to what she just heard. Sakura quirked a brow but before he could question her, she answered with a, "No, I did _not_ sleeping with him! What the heck, Naruto?"

"JUST MAKING SURE SAKURA CHAN, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT HE'S CAPABLE OF! HE MAY BE GOOD AS A LAWYER BUT NO JUDGE CAN SECOND GUESS A PERVERTED TEME LIKE HIM!" Naruto's voice was heard loud and clear that even Sasuke twitched at Naruto's insults.

What was that dope talking about him now? Feeding Sakura fake news about him when she's standing next to him; oh, he's going to get it the next time they meet. A whimper was heard adjacent to where they were staring. Sakura gasps and squeals as a puppy smacks its paw against the window pane. Naruto, on the other hand must be thinking Sasuke was doing something to Sakura—

Sasuke didn't need Naruto to think anything of him doing perverted things to Sakura unless she didn't care and permitted it; but no, he wasn't that type of guy to think twice of that matter. He respects Sakura and why should he care what Naruto says about them? Oh yeah, because it's Naruto. Shaking his head, he checked his watch and grabbed the phone from Sakura who was gushing cutesy at the awakened pup.

"Hey dope," Sasuke spoke into the receiver, "Don't you have something better to do like your job?"

"ACK! TEME, DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Naruto yelled into the phone, clearly surprised at the change of voices. Sasuke rolled his eyes as he imagined Naruto lacking from his bouncing job, probably avoiding Crayon. _Smart Naruto, _Sasuke chuckled under his breath, earning Sakura a question glance.

He waved towards the direction of his house, letting Sakura pout a little and turns back to the puppy. Feeling a tinge of content, he allows Sakura a few minutes to say her goodbyes as he continues to mock Naruto's stupidity.

"TEME, DON'T CORRUPT HER OR ELSE I'LL BE THE ONE TO BEAT YOU BLACK AND BLUE!" Naruto yells again, making Sasuke wince at how loud he could wake the neighborhood, probably the whole city if he wanted to.

Gripping the phone in his hand, he viewed the empty street corner they were on; only seeing a few cars in the night drive by. Sighing, he listened to Naruto's rants and accusations towards someone in the background and more babbling about how him and Sakura. "Careful," He adding, not helping but give intelligent advice to his friend, "Boasting can be a real turn-off."

A hand that could only belong to Sakura's slipped through his arm and brought his attention to see her pout up at him. They started walking away from the pet shop and towards the direction of his house, her new home. Curious to what she wanted, he pursed his lips and snorted at what Naruto had mentioned about bettering himself towards Sakura and that he'll continue dating her until she's his. "Keep thinking that until it actually comes true."

Sasuke held the phone away from him as Naruto yelled something incoherent. Sakura looked worried for Naruto's insanity as they walked around a corner. Sasuke laughed softly as he retorted, "Dope. You're not gonna get paid for slacking on the job."

Naruto said something before Sakura heard the loud beep sound of her phone hanging up. "What'd he say?" Sakura spoke up, curious to know what Naruto and Sasuke talked about for him to get pissed off at Sasuke.

Sasuke shrugs, leading her across the street to his neighborhood, "He wants another date with you."

Sakura parted her lips but thought twice before correcting herself, "Are you joking with me?"

Sasuke shakes his head, giving her phone back to her which she took and stuffed in her back pocket. "No, for an idiot like himself, at least he knows what he wants."

Sakura licked her lips before exhaling a sigh. She skipped forward a few steps before walking backwards in front of him, "And you? What do you want?"

Sasuke stepped over a crack in the sidewalk before glancing upwards again, "Sleep."

Sakura laughed, pausing as he got closer and playfully smacked his arm. "Seriously? I mean, before when I agreed to go with him to his hometown— it wasn't even like that, a date I mean."

"He doesn't think so." One of the corners of Sasuke's lips curved upwards, "You got a shortage on your hands."

Sakura mimicked what he said, making an ugly face before replying with a smile, "Lame! And no, it was more of a tour of his hometown which by the way I found interesting because it seems like Naruto has a split personality other than being a city boy."

Sakura spun around before she could trip or bump into the lamp post, its shadow and glow indicating its forewarning. Sasuke followed heed as they entered his neighborhood. It has been a long day for the both of them; tomorrow was going to be just as worse, with his previous case to solve and the meetings concerning his grandfather's business at where he worked. "Maybe you should go on that date with Naruto, since he was practically begging."

"Oo, maybe I will," Sakura raised both her eye brows at him, surprising him. Did she really mean that, even when she disagreed earlier? Does she really like that blond idiot who couldn't really survive without three things in his life: ramen, money and help? She shook her head, her eyes dancing as she grinned at him, "Once Naruto finds out that you were degrading him, you'll probably be the one begging mercy."

To tease him even more, Sakura whispered amusingly, "…on your knees!"

Not liking the idea of Naruto in demand, Sasuke frowns and walks passed Sakura until they rounded his street. Sakura laughed behind him, telling him she was joking. He knew she was but still, why should he enjoy the fact that Naruto will be spending more time with Sakura? What happened to the Hyuuga chick, his childhood friend, the one he's been trying to contact all those years ago?

"I'll be really busy tomorrow; at least Naruto will have the day off— so he can be your chauffeur and keep you occupied while I'm gone." Sasuke reasoned, walking up the steps to his gates.

Opening and closing the gates after Sakura weaved in; he led her to his door step, before pushing the key in and twisting the knob. The door swept open and as he took the first step inside his house, Sakura didn't follow. She was quiet and when he turned his head to see what's wrong, she glared at him.

"I don't _need_," She quoted with her fingers as she stood on his threshold, "a babysitter; I'm a grown woman who can take care of myself, thank you!"

Sighing, he understood that he may have sounded rude and cold towards her but he wasn't going to let Naruto get to him. Just because he got to spend most of the day with Sakura while he was at home, sick, doesn't mean it ended well. He forgot to mention that part too, he recalled the conversation earlier. "I know," Sasuke stepped forward, offering his hand towards Sakura's who only looked at it, saying nothing in return. "I'm sorry for sounding cold but Naruto isn't that bad of a guy— get to know him; he's really a soft hearted guy who will die saving the ones he calls family."

Sakura snorted, rolling her eyes at what he just said to her, "Even you?"

Sasuke pressed his lips in a thin line, not sure if it could be true seeing that Naruto is an easy, jealous type. If he doesn't get his way, he'll whine. But on the other hand, he has known Naruto since three years ago and knew he got Naruto's back (always since he's a lawyer) even if Naruto got his, which would probably be once in a lifetime (if he doesn't die early, that is), "Even me."

Sakura nods hesitantly and then exhales a huge sigh before taking his hand and him leading her inside. Closing the door too slow, he suddenly realizes that the quick running steps up the stairs indicated that she was heading straight for his room. Oh boy, he knew how much she would kill to have his room, his bed no less. "Sakura."

Reaching the top step, he strolled into his room and found Sakura plopped in his bed, all cozy in his dark, navy covers. "Hitting the sack without brushing your teeth, I didn't know you can be so dirty, Sa-ku-ra."

Sakura groaned from under the covers and rolled over, her face turned towards him and the ceiling. He waited, leaning on the door frame, "Hygiene counts too, you know."

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Pouting at him, she slowly rolls off the bed and trudges passed him and down the hall until she opened the mysterious soundproof bathroom. She still doesn't understand why this bathroom of all rooms in the house was so special that Sasuke couldn't tell her. After all, she's now rooming with Sasuke— why shouldn't he start telling her what's up with this bathroom? Turning to face Sasuke and finding no one behind her, she snaps her head back to the room she left and saw it closed.

Dropping her jaw in disbelief, did he not tell her to brush her teeth before hitting the sack? "Spoiled teme." She muttered, walking into the big bathroom and turned on the faucet. Bending down, she felt her eyes slowly close as the sound of water hit the surface of the sink.

"Drowning yourself will get you nowhere." Sasuke's voice drifted through her consciousness, making her eyes snap open.

"I wasn't!" Sakura pouted, taking the water in her hand and splashing it in her face, "I was just… admiring—"

"Right," Sasuke snorted, walking towards her and closing the door to the bathroom. "Here," He spoke, handing her a tooth brush and leaned over to take his own toothbrush and toothpaste from the stand.

Was she wrong about him, she wondered. Blinking, she used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe the drops of water sliding down her face and neck. With her other hand, she took the brush and thanked him as he pressed a small amount of white paste on her brush. She looked at him as he did the same and started brushing his teeth. She did the same.

As she was brushing around all the nooks and crannies of her teeth inside her cavern, she recalled a memory of her first cavity when she started high school— it turned out to be such a big deal to her that she stopped eating candy that could rot her teeth like taking up a diet and making sure her next appointment went perfectly.

Sakura turned the faucet on again and spit out the white paste and rinsed her mouth from any remaining foam. After making sure her teeth was clean, she turned to see Sasuke with his toothbrush still in his mouth, walking out of another room she didn't see before or perhaps she had thought was a closet, carrying two towels. She raised a brow as he handed her one towel and hung the other one on the rack near the shower. "The blue one's mine and the white one's yours."

Sakura scratched her eye brow and glanced at Sasuke then at the room he just departed from, "What, you don't own pink in there?"

"No," He came up to her and spit into the sink, pulling on the faucet handle. Water rushed forward and dissolved the paste, pooling it into the drain before he rinsed his mouth and seethed through his teeth. While Sasuke puts away their toothbrush in its rightful position at the stand, Sakura pokes her nose into the 'closet' she supposed before and found it was more of an extra walk-in closet and another door with a glass window displayed. "What's this?"

"Open it." He spoke, his voice echoing in the small corridor of the closet. She glanced back at him before doing as she was told and opened the door to see steam waft through, the dry, humid temperature pricking her skin. "My private sauna, like it?"

Was this it? Sakura's mouth opened as she gazed at the hot coals cooling in the small tub heating the room. Did every house on this block have secret rooms like this one? Is there more that Sakura doesn't know? "This _is _your secret?"

"Hn." He leaned forward, checking the temperature on its stats and reached over to adjust it. "I had it professionally built but no, it's not."

She furrowed her brows, wondering what Sasuke meant by 'no, it's not'. Of course it should be, right? If _this, _her eyes peeked out the room and saw another door down the corridor, wasn't the secret, then what is? Sasuke then leans back, blocking her view from heading to the other door. "Let's go, it's getting late. I'm sure you need your beauty sleep."

He led her back to the entrance of the bathroom. Sakura didn't hesitate to head straight to his room but as she reached the door, Sasuke slid between her and his bedroom door. Her hand met his hip; she gasped and pouted at Sasuke for being a bad host. "But I'm a guest."

He waved his hand towards the guest bedroom, "Not anymore; _that _room will be yours for now on."

Sakura glanced over at the room he was talking about— the one he slept in while dealing with a fever alone. She swallowed, thinking of some excuse to trade places. She really did like his bed since it was soft and warm. He must have known what she was thinking because he shook his head and nudged her towards the guest bedroom. Muttering something incoherent under her breath, she looked over her shoulder towards Sasuke, "What if I get sick?"

"You won't." He answered, making no move to open his door. Sakura sighs out loud before trudging slowly and painfully to the room she'll now be sleeping in.

"If I do, it'll all be your fault." She whined, grabbing the knob and turned to face Sasuke who in return only smirked at her immaturity. "Then it'll be _you_ taking care of _me_."

He snorted, rolling his eyes and turned to his door, grabbing the knob as well, "Hey, it'll be killing two birds with one stone, right?"

That's true, she thought. If she got sick, she won't have to go on that 'date' Naruto had asked for on the phone and to brighten her mood, Sasuke will be the one to take care of her… Mm, she wonders how that'll go. "Sasuke…?"

"Good night Sakura," Sasuke sighs, his voice soft with a little rise of exhaustion. He did sound tired and she must have too, sensing that she had yawned as she opened her door.

"Mm, good night Sasuke." She muttered, smiling softly as she went in and didn't bother closing the door all the way as she practically ran to the bed, plopped down and drifted off to sleep.

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_What a girl, _Sasuke thought, walking to her bedroom and peering at her dorm state. Grabbing the knob, he slowly pulled it closed— his view of Sakura's pink hair fading as it was now blocked by the wooden door.

He then shuffled to his own room and closed the door behind him. Trudging to his bed, he lies down and took in the scent of natural herbs rising from his covers. _Sakura._

Closing his eyes, he can't help but wonder how deep were Naruto's feelings for Sakura? Was he using her to take his mind off things from his past with that other girl? Sighing into his pillow, Sasuke pulls the covers over his head as his mind collects memories of the day he had with Sakura.

Sakura is a nice girl, a little too stubborn but is also understandable when it comes to situations. What was she going to say to him before she was interrupted with Naruto's call? He had a feeling that Naruto was up to something because every time he or Sakura had something important to say, Naruto would always pop up. Does he have some sort of power he didn't tell Sasuke? Come on, they were practically best friends, brothers nonetheless, what is Naruto hiding from him that he doesn't already know? He already figured out about Naruto's childhood friend; well, most of it anyway.

Ah, this whole ordeal was too troublesome for his taste. Thinking too much on this matter could lead to a huge migraine in the morning; he really needed his sleep or else he'll be doomed with tomorrow's duties. Shifting his position, he grabbed his pillow and hugged it, pressing his nose deeper into the scent of the girl next door. Why did she smell oh so darn good? Feeling slightly vertigo, his mind drifted away; the room changing as he started to dream about his job, about Naruto's past and about him and Sakura.


	18. Chapter 18

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

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A/N: Okay guys, I know you have been waiting for me to post the next chapter. As you all know (to whom has been keeping up on my profile) I had a 5-week class this summer (well, half a week to go now). Anyway, I already have some ideas stirred up so don't you worry, this story will be going in and out of twists— not like it hasn't in the beginning, ha-ha.

Oh yes, I was doing a little feedback on my reviews— and I know some of your questions haven't been answered yet (in which will be revealed in the story as you read along) and I also know that from before, I've asked for **some** ideas of **your own** to be added into the story— but that won't be necessary anymore. I'm sure with all your crazy-romantic-hilarious ideas conjured; I hope mine is at least to your liking.

P.S. – Updates will be on my profile! Thank you for reading Mysterious Found! RxRxR (readXreviewXrecommend).

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Waking to nothing but a dark room was something Sakura was not used to— in fact, at home her bedroom window always faced the sun rising each and every day; waking her with a frustrated growl of having to get up. But this… waking to absolute silence and darkness, it made her shiver. Was this what Sasuke meant? Was Sasuke lonely after all? Is she his light in this dark, lonely house? Is that why he asked her to room in with him so that she can make his house lively?

Sitting up, Sakura felt the invisible waft of cold air trickle down her neck. She shivered and blinked away the morning tears that threatened to spill. Looking around, Sakura kicked back the covers and scratched at her ear before throwing her feet over the edge of the bed and standing. Only to fall back in bed, seeing that the floor was freezing, _definitely not her room, _she thinks.

After a moment of yawning, Sakura figured that Sasuke was still sleeping next door and had an intriguing thought of jumping him. A clever smile formed on her face as she jumped off the bed and sprinted to the door.

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When she got to his room, she held her breath and slowly opened his door. Peeking around the door, she felt a small bubble of mischief flip inside her and the image of a riled hyena made her let out a creepy chuckle. But as soon as she stepped inside, her eyes took in the already made bed.

Blinking in disbelief, Sakura pouted and let out a small sigh of boredom. Thinking back of the night before, she did recall a small memory of him saying he had a busy day today. She just didn't think he'd meant so early in the morning.

Turning to go back to her new room, Sakura made her way down the hall and paused at her opened room. She stared at her tangled covers hanging off the bed and the pillow that was strewn across the floor. Shaking her head, she made a move to fix her bed and get this morning over with.

Feeling out of it, Sakura lifted the blanket over the bed and tucked it in. After she made her bed, she made her way to the bathroom and started stripping her shirt when a flash of memory buzzed inside her head. She turns halfway towards the closed towel closet and wonders what she discovered yesterday was actually real or just a dream.

She lets go of her shirt and grabs the closet knob and opens it. Inside was a row of towels, black, blue and white. Raising a brow, Sakura perks closer, eyeing the sides and edges, wondering if her mind is playing tricks with her. Could it be? But it felt so real; she then shakes her head and closes the closet carefully.

Taking a moment before pulling her shirt over her head, she then pulls away the shower curtain and taps on the hot water which runs cold. A gasp slips from her mouth as Sakura's head clears— _I'll be really busy tomorrow; at least Naruto will have the day off- so he can be your chauffeur and keep you occupied while I'm gone. _She remembers now. Today is the day Sasuke has no time for fun except work, work and work. On the other hand, Naruto is free and wants to go on a date with her and she absolutely has nothing planned except the fact that she now realizes she's rooming with Sasuke!

Feeling up-to-date now, Sakura sadly turns off the tap and pulls on her shirt. She can't take a shower since her clothes stink and the only way for her to get more clothes is to go home. She makes her way back to her room and grabs her phone before heading downstairs.

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With everything set, Sakura 'borrows' a bit of change from Sasuke's secret stash she found in his kitchen behind a row of cook books. She wasn't sure how she found it but she was curious enough to know how suspicious it must be with Sasuke being a home cook.

After calling a taxi, Sakura waits outside until it arrives and drives her to her destination. It takes her about an hour and a half to get there and as soon as she pays extra for a trip back, she rushes out the cab, not bothering to close the door and runs inside her house. Pounding up the stairs and barging through her room, she goes to her closet, pulls out two suit cases and gathers some clothes; packing her necessities and other products. Of course, she's not sure when her parents will be back home or how long she'll be living with Sasuke but what she does know is that she'll take a chance to guess.

'_Cause I don't wanna lose you now,_

_I'm lookin' right at the other half of me'_

Sakura jumps and grabs her phone, _'—vacancy sat-'_, "Hello?"

'Hey Sakura, its Naruto!'

"Hey Naruto," Sakura began, pulling her suitcase up and rolling it outside her house, "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanna go out with me today!" He sounds excited, like a kid going to a circus. "There's a circus in town and it's gonna be B-I-G!"

Speak of the devil, Sakura laughed. What was the coincidence of that? "Hah, gimme a sec…" Sakura shakes her head as Naruto hums happily on the other end and opens the trunk of the taxi cab and places her bags inside before giving the driver the directions back into the city. "Okay, what's this about a circus?"

After getting in, the driver starts up the car and drives off.

X

X

X

Maybe Sasuke was right, maybe she should give Naruto a chance since he was trying after all. Sakura smiles up, as her eyes takes in the big spiral tents and the loud noises of chatters of families and their children, circus music and a mix of animals cheering.

"_No, no I'll meet you at the front, how does that sound?" Sakura offered as the taxi turns the corner of the hill, a mile off from where she first met Sasuke. "I have some things to do- errands."_

"_Are you sure?" Naruto asks, not convinced, "Because it'll be much quicker if I picked you up and drove us there."_

_Sakura presses her lips together, thinking as she feels her body jerk to the left as they go under an overpass. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry, I'll be there."_

"_Okay! But if you change your mind, you know who to call!" Naruto clicks his tongue into the phone as if he was winking at her. She laughs and hangs up, shaking her head._

After heading back to Sasuke's place and dumping her bags inside her room, she made a quick note for Sasuke in case he comes back telling him her destination. Although he was the one who practically told her to spend some time with Naruto but having inheriting her mother's stubbornness, she had refused the night before and changed her mind the next day after Sasuke had left.

And now here she was, standing in front of the circus entrance waiting for a certain orange-blazed car to arrive.

"HEY!" A sudden voice shrieks behind her, surprising Sakura that she swore she jumped at least three feet up.

Sakura turns and blinks, startled. In front of her stand two small boys whom looked vaguely familiar.

"She doesn't remember us, I told you!" A girl runs up behind them and gives her a pointed look of pride.

Sakura sweat drops, smiling warily as she looks around, to see if these kids lost their parents. "Uh, are you children lost?"

"Sakira!"

Sakura gasps, snapping her attention upwards and spotting two very familiar mothers that live next door to Sasuke's house. _Oh, oh right! _Now that she thought about it, these kids belong to the mothers in Sasuke's neighborhood.

The girl who accused Sakura of forgetting them perked as her mother came wheezing from her small trek. The second mother patted her friend's with one hand while holding onto her other child. "Alec, please don't run off… oh!"

Seeing that they were surrounding the pinkette, the mothers smile weakly. Sakura makes an effort to wave a small apology towards the two mothers. "Hello."

"We spotted her!" The small boy with brown oval eyes beamed, now that she recalls is Alec.

"Who could not sight her, she could probably glow in the dark like the ranger from Galaxy!" The other boy exclaims excitedly.

"Oh my!" The heavy breathed mother gasps, and places a hand over her son's mouth, "Please excuse my son's rudeness."

Sakura waves again, "It's alright; I get that a lot. I'm used to it."

A tug was felt against Sakura's mid-thigh. Glancing down, Sakura locks eyes with Sakira who was now grinning up at her. "Are you waiting for Mr. Uchiha?"

Sakura chuckles at Sakira's respect towards her elders. _Kids, _Sakura thinks before shaking her head, "Unfortunately I'm waiting for another friend."

"Is it—" The boy on her right asks but was interrupted by a revved engine on brakes. Looking up, Alec and Sakira's brother whom Sakura recalls is Ash yells at the same time in awe, "LOOK! Whoa!"

There in his orange bling of a sports car, drives up Naruto in the front seat with his shades on, bopping his head to a beat. Sakura parts her lips in astonishment— for some reason, this sort of felt cliché or something Naruto would do. Was he showing off or something?

After shutting off his car, Naruto got out and what surprised Sakura was that Naruto was dressed in a different color other than a bright jail bird uniform. He wore black slacks and a loose white polo shirt. "Did you miss me?"

'_It's the neon clown!'_ the kids whispers went unnoticed. _'That idiot owns __**that**__?'_

He chuckles, earning a flushed pinkette who shuts her mouth and shakes her head, smiling, "You wish. Where were you? I've been waiting for half an hour."

He smiles goofily and scratches the back of his head, "Something came up— my bad. But I'm here!"

Sakura clicks her tongue on the roof of her mouth, "Puh-leeze, if I accepted your offer- we wouldn't have gotten here until after the circus has ended."

"Whoa, look at the paint job— it's AWESOME!" Ash cried from the hood of Naruto's car, waving for Alec and- "Airy, Sakira, look!"

Sakura watches as Naruto does a three sixty before yelling at the kids to be careful with his car. The two mothers go unnoticed as they walk forward, patting Sakura's shoulder and grabbing her hands. "You really are blessed, child."

Sakura parts her lips, licks them nervously and unsure of what the two mothers were chattering about. Her, blessed? With what? With who, Naruto? Sasuke? Sakura raises a hand and waves off the mothers, "Oh no, its nothing."

"Oi, Mina sama— your son is touching my precious artwork!" Naruto yells from his car, head locking one of the boys, Alec.

Mina, the mother who told Sakura she was blessed chuckles and compliments Naruto on his abilities with kids. Surprised that Naruto knew them, Sakura had to tab Naruto later on this matter. The other mother instead smiles softly before tightening her hold on Sakura's hands, "Oh child, it's not nothing- its more than you think."

Screams and laughter snaps Sakura out of her reverie of confusion as she watches Naruto haul all four children back to their owners, well tried to. "Oi, don't make me grass all of you!"

That probably did it— surprisingly of how unfamiliar the word sounded. To think kids these days knew such a foreign word, but it must have worked because all four kids pulled away and cried, running towards their mothers, hugging their knees.

Sakura sucks her lips together, making them look petite like a fish. Holding back her laughter, she waves at the two families before following Naruto whom ran towards the entrance ticket booth.

After paying for the tickets, Naruto hands over Sakura her share of ten tickets including half for food and entertainment. Sakura thanks him and they continue their adventure to the first show of acrobats balancing on stacked chairs.

"Sorry about earlier," Naruto speaks up, his sea blue eyes wide with awe as one of the acrobats fall off a chair and catches himself on top one his teammates' shoulders. "I'm surprised you didn't get lost- heck! I didn't give you enough credit."

Feeling discomforted towards his sudden confession, Sakura averts her gaze to the side and nods slowly, "Yeah… sure, no biggie." _Snap! _About that, she thinks and recalls back an hour ago. She did get lost, having no idea which part in the city the circus was at since she wasn't acquainted with the city that long— only knowing a few places Sasuke has showed her. She had to ask a neighboring, mysterious boy about the whereabouts of a circus who in return didn't give her squat unless she paid him to. After paying that little squirt five dollars, she finally got her directions and hoped the boy wasn't tricking her and indeed, the boy wasn't. But she won't admit that to Naruto— who knows what he'll do? Probably brag off to Sasuke about her failed mission or tell her so that she should have accepted his request.

"Sakura chan lets head over to see the elephants!" Naruto's voice creeps within Sakura's mind, making her shiver.

Getting up, Sakura nods at his proposal before side stepping a mid-age man and rounding the exit of a line of people. As they were walking, Sakura admired the view of clowns either running around, making different families laugh of their stupid acts, riding unicycles here and there- oh, a tall man standing on crutches handing out balloons to children.

"Sakura chan, are you-" Naruto starts before Sakura interrupts with the matter of knowing the family from earlier. "Oh yeah, they're Sasuke's neighbors. Those brats are always tailing me."

But what confused Sakura was that they didn't seem to recognize who her ride was when she first met them. Maybe it was the fact that they didn't see Naruto inside the driver seat? Or maybe because they were too memorized by Naruto's orange-blaze car from which in her opinion was sure to blind someone if they stared too long.

"Mina's sons are Alec whom is a year older than Airy. Airy is Mina's son but different father." Naruto shakes his head as he and Sakura make their way to the circus animal's pens. "Sakira and Ash are the children of Risa— she's a widow so sometimes she'd ask me to occupy her children from time to time whenever I go visit Sasuke."

Sakura blinks _wow_.

"How long have you known them?" Sakura asks as they enter the tent and see a tiger within the cages on the far left.

Naruto shrugs, "Mm, well since I met Sasuke at university; they're kind people, **very** _generous_, in fact."

Sakura laughs, remembering Sasuke saying something along those lines. Naruto grins and pulls Sakura's arm as he drags her to the bear cage. Sakura goes along, ignoring the feeling of being held.

"Hey, wanna take a picture together, Sakura chan?" Naruto offers, taking out his cell phone.

"What, in front of the bear?" Sakura places her hands in front of herself, blocking the invitation, "We don't want to blind the bear and make it go on a rage."

Naruto laughs, slinging an arm around Sakura's shoulders, "Sakura chan, we'll need to sharpen on your bear jokes because I clearly don't see any rams."

"Har-har!" Sakura rolls her eyes, getting the joke even though she wasn't intending her say to be funny.

"Nah, he can bear it."

Sakura narrows her eyes at his lame joke, "Fine, just once but if Mr. Bear throws you in a headlock, don't say I didn't tell you so."

Naruto shrugs and pulling her close, "Look, I turned off the flash- say cheese!"

Sakura looks up, smiles and peaces at the camera as Naruto presses his phone camera and flash goes off, blinding Sakura as she backs into the cage. A whining roar is heard from behind Sakura making her snap her attention up at a frightened bear.

Ashen and nervous, Naruto grabs Sakura's hand and flees the premises to a safer destination and out of the authorities' outlook.

"Off flash, huh?" Sakura rubs her eyes with the back of her hands and glares at Naruto who grins sheepishly at her.

"Must have slipped." He shrugs.

X

Since their little misunderstanding with the bear, Naruto had dragged Sakura off to most of the entertainment booths and Sakura had shared half of her generosity by treating Naruto to a ramen stand. Quick and easy, _right?_

Or so she thought.

Sakura widens her eyes at the amount of bowls that Naruto had finished. Five to be exact— and these bowls were pretty much the size of a goldfish bowl too. Where did Naruto hold it all; Sakura will never question or ever get to know? Sakura looks down at her first bowl and places down her chopsticks just when Naruto finishes his meal.

Grinning sheepishly, Naruto reaches back a hand and scratches his neck, apologizing shyly at her. "Ne, I admit I didn't have breakfast this morning. This meal makes up for it."

Oh. "Is that so? Well," Sakura takes out her wallet before Naruto could order yet another bowl and places the bill down on the counter, "Since I'm paying-" Well, technically, Sakura thinks, Sasuke is paying but without him actually knowing she 'borrowed' some money from earlier— she'll pay him back the money without him even knowing it was taken, "I'm sure your stomach has its limit. Lets explore some more, you know, walk off all those categories you gained."

"Heh-heh," Naruto laughs, patting his stomach and getting ready to stand, "That sounds like a great idea."

As Naruto got up to stand, pushing his chair back a little too roughly, a loud sound of glasses dropping and a few gasps were heard from behind Naruto. Sakura slaps a hand over her mouth in wonder, her eyes widening as she takes in the small commotion of an older gentleman examining the yellow stain now replacing his white polo shirt.

"HEY!" The man shouted, clearly annoyed that his shirt was ruined and smelled like noodles. "My shirt; watch where you're going!"

Did Naruto bump into the man? When Naruto turns, surprised at the accusation- Sakura then realizes a girl about her height with long raven locks bowed deeply in front of the man. "My apologies, sir. I'll buy you a new shirt personally."

Not knowing who the girl is, Sakura somehow decipher the familiar voice of the girl.

"This is my favorite shirt, you know!" The man argued, narrowing his eyes dangerously at the said girl. Sakura looks from the man to the girl, wondering why the guy is so uptight about his shirt— yeah; sure it was white but heck! The girl already apologized and with a traditional deep bow too. "Oh you better-"

_Oh, no he just di-_

"Excuse me," Sakura's eyes flew to the owner of the voice. "She said she was sorry; besides it was my fault, I bumped into her. I'll buy you a new shirt, sir."

Startled by Naruto's kind generosity towards the stranger, both figures turns to see Naruto stand next to his chair, a hand gripping the back of it; not only was Sakura awed at Naruto's offer, but both parties took a moment to think about it.

Naruto looks back at Sakura, a half smile lingering on his lips and turns serious once again as he faces the man. Sakura, exchanging looks from the man to the girl she now recognizes as Naruto's childhood friend, Hinata looks back to Naruto. Was this a coincidence?

'Daddy, come're!' A shrilled voice overcame the heated atmosphere. A little ways behind the angered man stood a small child with a similar stain on his shirt and holding a balloon in one hand. 'Daddy, hurry uuup!'

The man glances back at his child and then grumbles, waving a hand at Naruto- dismissing him and the girl as his fellow companions dragged him away from the food stand.

'_Wow, we match daddy!'_

A moment of silence protrudes the small area of the food stand; maybe Hinata was feeling awkward towards Naruto's up stand? But instead, Hinata turns, blinks and nods at Sakura in acknowledgment while also, thanking Naruto for sticking up for her.

"Nah, he just needed a little encouragement, that's all." Naruto waves Hinata off, grinning as usual while pushing his seat back to the table.

Hinata chuckles and picks up the broken glass that was dropped when Naruto bumped into her. Sakura steps forward and bends down to help but instead, Naruto blocks her with his hand and winks at her, "This isn't a job for ladies to cut their fingers. Let a real man show you how it's done!"

"Oh how chivalrous of you," Sakura replied, rolling her eyes at his gesture and eyes the girl beside him, already having a hand full of glass.

"Careful, Hinata chan- we don't want an angry owl pecking at-" _What owl? _Sakura looks from Naruto to Hinata and back, clearly confused to what Naruto was saying. _What is Naruto analogizing now? _"Me because I wasn't there—"

Hinata holds up her other hand, silencing Naruto before he could finish his sentence, "It's fairly alright, Naruto kun. He won't find out- even if he did, you stood up for me- like you always do."

"Ah but Hinata chan, you're clumsy as ever!" Naruto exclaims, his eyes wide and serious. Sakura furrows her brow, feeling stupid for even lingering around Naruto, should he really be telling her, her faults? "You got nimble fingers- carefree of callous; your skin is so pale that you almost look ghostly-"

Alright, now that's just going too far and by the looks of it, Hinata doesn't _even_ seem bothered by Naruto's critiques. Was she missing some sort of connection between them? Maybe it was a childhood thing they had…

Suddenly, as if reading her mind, Hinata turns her gaze to Sakura. Locking eyes with violet, Sakura freezes and feels as if she was caught in a turmoil dilemma. Was it the way Hinata's head slanted slightly to the side as if she was curious and yet, her eyes are a bit narrowed as if she's suspicious of Sakura?

Not knowing what to make out of Hinata's character, for example, how intimidated she felt, Sakura broke away her eye contact and slapped Naruto's shoulder and laughing nervously, "Naruto, don't be so rude. Boastin—"

"I don't mind, Sakura chan." Hinata speaks up innocently, cutting Sakura from finishing her remark and placing the broken glasses onto the table, as did Naruto who was inching away from Sakura.

Sakura raises a brow and parts her lips to speak again when Naruto makes a motion to wipe both his hands together to clear away anymore shards. Sakura steps forward and stops him before he could, "Naruto, you're going to cut yourself."

Naruto frowns and eyes his hands before breaking into a grin and turning to Sakura, "I'm alright but thanks for being worried about me."

Sakura swallows, licking her lips and thinks, _more like how stupid he can be. _"Yeah, sure."

After the floor was clear of glass, Naruto had the intention of buying Hinata ramen as an apology for bumping into her and creating a scene. Before Sakura could comment on the matter including the fact that maybe Hinata had somewhere else she rather be than to interrupt their little fun adventures or because the look on Hinata's face didn't look as excited like a kid getting his/ her first allowance— or so she thought. Instead, Hinata smiles and agrees.

Was it her or does Hinata have a bipolar personality? Sakura thinks.

Slowly sitting down once again, she watches from the side as Naruto and Hinata order their meals and waits for it to be served.

"So Hinata," Naruto begins, tapping his fingers repeatedly on top of the counter, "What brings you here to the circus?"

Hinata turns her head and glances at Sakura before giving Naruto her full attention, "Hinabi wanted to go see the lion jump through the fire hoop."

_Hinabi, who? _Sakura thinks, piecing the connection- maybe its one of Hinata's friends or relatives. Leaning back onto her chair, Sakura observes the two and sees how comfortable Naruto seems sitting adjacent to Hinata even though the first time he talked about his friendship with her was back at the small house in his hometown which was a bit… she didn't know, off? Did he have a bad past with her or was it too long since they spent time together?

"Ah," Naruto nods, "So where _is_ little Hinabi?"

"She's communicating with the gorillas." Hinata smiles gently before glancing towards Sakura, knowing how confused she must be, "Hinabi's my youngest sister— she's color blind."

Naruto turns one eighty and smiles sheepishly at Sakura, "Oops, sorry Sakura chan, I just had this serious conversation with Hinata chan, I almost forgot that you were here."

_Almost, huh? _If she was a cartoon, she'd have big tick mark on the side of her forehead. Forcing a smile, Sakura waves Naruto off and whips her head around him to take in Hinata. "It must be hard for your sister. Is she being accompanied by someone else?"

Before Hinata could answer, their orders were ready to serve. "Alright, time to dig in!" Naruto yells excitedly before breaking his chopsticks into two and grabbing a bunch of noodles together.

Hinata does the same but with less enthusiasm and more etiquette to eating ramen. "She is. My cousin, Neji had offered to escort her into the circus animal's exhibit."

"Oh? Then how'd you end up here," Sakura questions, pressing her lips together before adding in, "If you don't mind me asking?"

Hinata stops chewing and takes a small sip of her beverage before replying back to Sakura with a sheepish smile, "I wandered into the crowds and before I knew it, I lost both my sister and cousin. Despite how coincidental I wound up here."

Sakura chuckles, having the idea that maybe it was more than just a coincidence and possibly fate? "Is that so?"

Naruto slurping away his bowl of ramen; finally relieves with the smack of his lips, "Ah! That's more like it! Okay, who's up for the next round?"

Sakura gives Naruto a weird look and shakes her head in disbelief, "I didn't know you were such a fatty, Naruto."

"Oi, I don't own fat, just muscles— I need this for my job!" Naruto objects, rooting up two more bowls of ramen to the waiter.

"Where does it all go then, I wonder?" Sakura thinks aloud, chuckling at the thought of Naruto's fat going to his butt.

"Sakura chan," Hinata's voice pulls Sakura away from her train of thoughts, "We didn't really have a real conversation before when we first met."

"Yeah, you're right." Sakura nods, recalling back their first and last meeting back at Naruto and Hinata's hometown.

"I hope to get more acquainted with you." Hinata places her chopsticks down and smiles at Sakura, sending a warmth invitation towards her.

"As of," Sakura adds in, thinking of new ways their now relationship could advance. If they become friends, Hinata would be the first girl friend she has met in the city— or well, in the Narnia part of town, "I."

X

X

X

"So how'd you come to meet Naruto kun?" Hinata started, glancing shyly at her childhood friend as he gulps down his beverage before taking his noodles to the next step.

Sakura smiles and scratches her head at the memory of her first meet with Naruto, "At some club."

Hinata blinks. Sakura chokes in mid-gasp after thinking back to what she just had said. Did that sounded weird? Sakura thinks, perhaps it was the way she said it fast that Hinata might think it a wrong way? Mentally palming her head, she reminded herself that she'll have to catch herself before she says something beyond Hinata's comprehension.

"O-oh?" Hinata presses her lips in a thin line and furrows her brows in a curious way, "Was he working?"

What was that! Sakura bites her bottom lip, her eyes falling to her clenched knuckles. Was Hinata worried that Naruto was a player or that she was some chick who went to clubs just to get hooked? No, no, no— she couldn't be thinking that. Not noticing the way Hinata's cheekbone twitched, Sakura nods nervously, "Yeah."

Slowly but calmly, Hinata's expression becomes unreadable— not that Sakura could read her from the start. Feeling her stomach rise, Sakura averts her gaze to the middle where Naruto slurps down the seasoned juice of his bowl of noodles. He seems to be way too occupied with his meal than paying attention to them. _Yep, he is definitely a fatty, _the corner of Sakura's lips curve up slightly before her eyes flutter up, a new thought arising in her mind.

"So Hinata chan, I heard from Naruto that you and him met at a house back in your hometown." Sakura states, wanting to make the previous tension take ease.

No such luck.

"Ah, yes." Hinata's shoulders stiff back as she makes an effort to smile at Sakura. A smile, Sakura feels is hard and glaring. "But it's not something I would go in detail about."

Sakura presses her lips, nodding understandingly while masking her discomfort. What is with her? How was it that this girl was making her feel so uncomfortable, or more like intimidated? Licking her bottom lip, Sakura tries asking another question but when Naruto slams down the empty bowl of noodles, he makes a huge burp sound with a followed grin.

Great, a distraction! Sakura turns happily towards Naruto and starts teasing him about going bankrupt towards a noodle stand. Patting his stomach, he pouts and complains about the conditions to his job and how it conflicts to his variety of foods. Sakura shakes her head, giving Naruto a weird look.

"Sakura chan, what is Naruto to you?" Hinata asks, clearly surprising the two acquaintances.

"Eh?" Both Naruto and Sakura yell in unison. Sakura turns to Naruto who looks at her, his cheeks growing pink in response to Hinata's sudden question.

Sakura stays quiet, thinking upon what to answer. Did Hinata think she liked Naruto because she seemed to hang out with Naruto a lot? Well, it wasn't like that— Sasuke was busy with work and Naruto had asked to hang out with her. So why was Hinata asking her such a difficult question at a very awkward time? "Uh, well…" Sakura began before Naruto stands abruptly and stumbles out of his seat.

"I- I have to take a dump!" He grins sheepishly, waving off their weird looks of disgust and dashing to the outdoor bathroom stalls.

"Um?" Sakura stalls, raising a brow at Naruto's strange behavior before shaking her head sadly, "What was that all about?"

"Sakura chan," Hinata speaks again but this time, her tone went from soft to firm. "Naruto is a good friend of mine; please don't hurt him in any way, shape or form."

That hit a chord. Sakura parts her lips in surprise as she looks past Hinata's head and towards the menu on the wall. Did she really think _she _liked Naruto like that? Was she jealous? That must be it or else she wouldn't have interrogated her about Naruto.

"So… he _is_ more than just a good friend to you." Sakura states, finally turning her emerald eyes to look into Hinata's eyes, "Am I right?"

Hinata doesn't waver at Sakura's speculation. She's _right_, **right?** Not wanting to feel dumb at guessing wrong, Sakura didn't move or look away. Feeling her cheeks rise with heat, Sakura clenches her teeth together to hold back a blush. All the while, Hinata's eyes quickly flickers— almost too quick for Sakura to catch. But she caught it.

_There! _

Could it be that she's right after all? Did Hinata still haul feelings for Naruto even after all these years? Feeling slightly pitiable for the said girl, Sakura softens her eyes and places her hand on top of the counter, smoothing out her fingers in a stretch motion.

Taking a small breath, Sakura parts her lips to speak but says nothing. Could she trust this girl to who has befriended Naruto years ago about her feelings for him? Will Hinata misunderstand to the extent that she may think she and Naruto are going out? No, this can't go on too long— she'll have to tell her that it isn't like that; that, towards Naruto, she isn't attracted. "Naruto… he's—" Sakura began before noticing Hinata startle.

Hinata's eyes flicker to the side, slightly widening at what was behind Sakura. Right behind me, isn't he? Sakura thinks as she turns to see what caught Hinata's attention all of a sudden. There, speed walking towards them was Naruto. Furrowing her brows in confusion, Sakura thinks of how Naruto unnoticeably got around them when he had exited from behind Hinata.

"Hinata chan!" Naruto yells, excitedly, "Sakura chan!"

Turning back to face Hinata, Sakura notices the faint blush on her cheeks and the way Hinata tucks back a loose lock of hair behind her ear. Swallowing at this now unsteady moment of silence, Naruto weaves through a group of people and stands in between Hinata and Sakura with a big grin on his face. "We got to go now!"

"What?" Sakura snaps her attention up, confused to Naruto's excitement. "Was the bathroom line too long for you to stand in?"

"Naruto kun, what is it?" Hinata perks up and smiles gently at him as she turns one eighty in her seat.

Naruto turns to Hinata showing a row of teeth as he chats up about the circus preparing the final show with the ring master and his lion. Having to be ignored by the two, Sakura juts out her bottom lip and narrows her eyes in vexation.

Huffing loudly, Sakura gets out of her chair and walks towards the exit of the booth.

"Eh?" She hears Naruto's voice fall, "Sakura chan, you're boost for it too, right?"

Mentally slapping a figure image of Naruto in her mind, Sakura growls and clenches her hands into fists at her sides. _Rude; a knucklehead! _Sakura turns her face halfway back to the two remainders and forces a sweet smile, "What are you waiting for you two? Hurry up or there won't be any seats left!"

_Yes, that's it, _she thinks. In order for her to ease the tension and her inner turmoil— she'll come up with a grand and more shrewder plan to get Hinata and Naruto together. _Simple! _

X

X

Half running and stumbling to get in line, a faint noise of ringing starts getting louder inside the pocket of Hinata's pants. Sakura looks to the side where Hinata swiftly pulls her phone and open the device like a professional and speaks into it. "Hinata Hyuuga speaking…"

The running stops as they neared the entrance of the circus tents and a crowd of animal noises erupts from within the attraction. Naruto shouts something and Sakura raises a brow to what he was shouting about.

"At the entrance of the final show; no I don't see you." Hinata looks around, her eyes searching her surroundings. Sakura breathes from running and turns to Hinata, wanting to know who she's talking to and glances at Naruto glaring at something… or someone.

"I got it." Hinata snaps her phone shut and licks her bottom lip, "Sakura chan, Naruto kun— please tell me how it goes when we meet again."

Confused at Hinata's sudden announcement, Naruto stomps over to Hinata and whines, "What? But this is, like, once in a lifetime— why must he ruin this for u— Ah!"

Hinata turns towards a big group of people running towards them. Sakura steps forward, ready to pull Hinata aside— what was with this chaos? They were clearly at a wrong time and wrong place to be in this situation.

"I must leave now." Hinata takes a side step just as two tall figures run past her, followed by a group of families. Sakura parts her lips to call out for Hinata but instead witnesses the disappearance of the said girl.

As soon as the dust-bunnies cleared up and the entrance was vacant of raging fans, Sakura coughs and sees Naruto standing there, quiet and deep in thought. "Naruto?"

Huffing loudly, Naruto turns around and faces Sakura with a huge smile on his face, "Sakura chan, lets have a good time today!"

Sakura nods, hesitantly, "Mm."

X

X

X

X

The final show was a blast, with acrobats swinging at the ceiling and catching each other in midair, clowns riding on unicycles acting stupid, elephant and monkey trainers allowing chosen volunteers to participate in the show and many more acts. But the most entertaining act of the whole evening was watching the ring master demanding his lions to jump through a hoop of fire.

As soon as the show had ended, Naruto had suggested they leave first before they get trampled by a crowd again. The sky was a tint of bluish pink when Naruto walked Sakura to his car, insisting he drive her back home.

Forgetting about the fact that she is now rooming in with Sasuke, Sakura averts her eyes to the side, avoiding Naruto's. _Crap. _How could she tell Naruto that when he's practically taking her out places to eat and hang out? But wouldn't that take a turn for the good if she told Naruto the truth? If she does tell him then he'll probably turn to Hinata for comfort and possibly if Hinata knew that that was what Sakura was planning from the start, she could step up and spill her feelings to Naruto. "Ok."

"Really?" Naruto gasps and shouts, pumping a fist in the air, "ALRIGHT!"

On the way out of the circus's parking lot, suddenly a loud buzz makes Sakura hit her elbow against the passenger door. Naruto anxiously worries over Sakura, asking if she was alright as she dug into her pocket and pulls out her phone. Flipping open her phone, she receives a text from Sasuke asking her to meet him at his work with Naruto in tow.

Telling Naruto this, Naruto grumbles about timing but then reluctantly speeds off towards Sasuke's job. When they arrive, the first person they see is Hinata walking aside Sasuke, holding a small business bag and a couple of folders in one arm. Getting out of the car, Sakura rushes towards Hinata. "Hinata chan, what are you doing here?"

Surprised at seeing Sakura and Naruto's arrival, Hinata meets Sakura's eyes and states professionally, "I had to take care of some business."

"Oi teme!" Naruto yells, throwing a small tantrum at his friend as Sasuke dodges whatever means necessary. Sakura, not bothering to tune into Naruto's stream of nonsense, she turns back to Hinata, wanting to fill her in on her soon-to-be plan.

"Ano," Sakura starts, as she pulls Hinata a few feet aside from Naruto and Sasuke to gain a better communication. "Sorry, I just… Hinata chan, about Naruto?"

"What is it, Sakura chan?" Hinata asks, wondering what Sakura had in mind.

"About Naruto, I—"

"Hinata chan!" Naruto bellows, over towering Sakura's statement as he pushes past her and grabs Hinata's shoulders and starts assisting her by taking her small suitcase and leading her off towards his car. Feeling annoyed at her interruption, she does a three sixty turn; about to rant a bombshell on how rude Naruto was being today but was met by charcoal eyes instead.

"Oh, Sasuke," Sakura gasps, slapping a hand over her chest, "you startled me."

"Is that so?" Smirking at her response, Sasuke reaches out and takes her upper arm in his grasp before pulling her closer to him, "Well you made progress with the Hyuuga."

"_The _Hyuuga_?" _Sakura furrows her brows in question, "What? Why are you speaking that way?"

Sasuke presses his lips in a thin line before telling her about the Hyuugas, "They're very hard to come by. It'll take one person to plan a whole meeting a previous year in advance— that is, if they're lucky."

Sakura's lips formed an 'O' as she hears Naruto revved his car and slowly pulls out. Glancing at the flash of orange past them, she sees the silhouette of Hinata buckled in, probably listening to Naruto talk about the circus. "Then Hinata… is an important person."

Sasuke nods and slides his hand down her arm and entwines his fingers into hers, "Very."

Blinking at the single word, Sakura thinks of how related that word is towards Naruto. Is she **very** important to Naruto? She must be especially by the way he barged between them and practically demanded to take her home. Which brings her back to how caring Naruto is when it comes to ladies, "By the way, what did Hinata chan come here for?"

Sasuke raises a brow and gazes in her emerald eyes, "She had to fill in a position for her father. Why?"

Sakura shrugs, "Oh, well earlier Naruto was being… Naruto and now, he was all so serious when he offered to take her home."

"Oh, that." Sasuke chuckled, "I told him to."

As soon as Sakura raises a brow in question, Sasuke tells her how Hinata needed a ride back to her hometown and what's better than to 'catch up' with her. Impressed by Sasuke's unusual proposal, Sakura's lips curved upwards into a grin, "Sweet! You came up with a better plan than what I had in stored."

Sasuke takes a step towards his car, pulling her behind him as she explains to him her ideas to get Naruto and Hinata together. Shaking his head at the bizarre designs of her plans, Sasuke opens the passenger door for her as she slips in and rounds his car to the other side.

Buzz! Sasuke reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone.

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_Sent: Teme_

_From: Dope _

_Text: Oh snap! I was Sakura's ride. Can you take her home for me?_

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After getting in and buckling, Sasuke starts up his car and drives away from his work towards their home.

_Sent: Dope_

_From: Teme_

_Text: Got it._

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A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for all the patience— I know you've been dying to read what happens next. So I made this chapter extra long for you guys; I hope you all like it! If you have any questions, pm me regarding MF (chapter) — Thanks again!

Oh! Coming up in future chapters will reveal secrets and twists!


	19. Chapter 19

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

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A/N: I like to first note that I spelt Hanabi's name wrong in the last chapter. Therefore, thank you to all for reading and reviewing— it puts a smile on my face and gives me motivation! Also, sorry for the long and VERY late update… (You can read on my profile, it shows my A/N memo), I hope this would make up for forgiveness.

P.S. – I'm taking 2 classes in the summer— so I'll try to update more around my school schedule.

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"So…" Sakura started, looking away from the nightlights as Sasuke drove them to their destination. "How was work?"

She glances up at the rearview mirror in which Sasuke's eyes was averting from the mirror, to the road and back. "Busy." He replied, his eyes slipping to his left, catching hers.

"What's busy?" She asks, not wanting the conversation to end with a dud. If she's going to be the conversation starter, she has to make this talk interesting or at least, try to. Swallowing, she quickly casts a look at him. He looked tired— dark bags decorating under his eyes, pale skin; the corner of his lips turned down and just the way he looked— calm but serious, as he's always been since she met him. He takes a turn, his hands mastering the wheel as the sound of the gas pedal zooms forward.

Sasuke purses his lips, making a sucking noise before speaking, "Filing cases, sorting through legal documents, making negotiations… the likes of being a lawyer."

Silence wafted the air between them. This time, it wasn't as awkward for neither Sakura nor Sasuke; just a comfortable silence. Sakura didn't say anything more; thinking of how much Sasuke has dealt with on his plate. It must be tough on him, she thinks as she lowers her eyes to her lap. He's the big R for responsibility, the one who's tackling all those obstacles between his clients and the do-goers of evil. Besides his work, he has Naruto and Crayon to deal with and… and her, too.

She lifts her gaze slowly to the mirror, watching as his eyes watch the road steadily. How could she not realize it soon enough? One second, she's dreaming of the city and then a second after, she's living it. A lot has happened since she met Sasuke— from mourning the lost of her ex, to befriending a stranger that wants her to be in his life. How could she ignore the chance of escaping reality?

Her head and body jerks forward, snapping her attention to a loud honk from behind them, followed by a fast car passing around them. Sakura pressed her lips, her brows furrowed in confusion. Were they going that slow? She hadn't noticed.

She blinks. Yes, she now realizes that she hasn't been paying close attention to details. She's usually good at that, especially after her parents' absence. Thinking about how much Sasuke has on his plate and her being added onto it made her wonder how much of a burden she was to him. Maybe if she didn't take the long way home, she wouldn't have discovered Sa— her ex with another girl. Maybe if she broke her relationship with _him_ a couple years back, she wouldn't have met Sasuke and Naruto or, wouldn't have to deal with _his_ death and _his_ scam with that redhead.

Was it her fault? She came to a conclusion.

The car slows to a stop, red beams appearing above the windshield signaling that they're at a traffic light. Sakura sighs and returns her attention to the window, focusing on the fogginess of the glass. Taking a finger, she draws two dots vertical from each other and then a negative parabola line underneath.

"—date with Naruto?" Sasuke's voice snapped through her reverie. Sakura blinks and turns to Sasuke, _Date?_

"What?" Sakura's voice cracked, her nose tingling— a sign that her waterworks might start up.

"Your day; how was it?"

Oh, Sakura thinks, shaking her head from the sudden misuse of words. Clearing her throat, Sakura brushes her hand passed her face, her thumb removing the invisible traces of nonexistent tears and pretended to tuck a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "It was a blast! You should've come with us. Naruto took the privilege of taking me to the circus."

"Oh?" Sasuke said, raising one brow and gripped the steering wheel, "Naruto, being informative? That's something new."

"Haha; yeah?" Sakura chuckles, leaning back in her seat, her fingers tapping on the arm of the door. The lights turn green as Sakura gazes through the window again, her eyes trained on Sasuke's dark form as he presses down the gas pedal, the car moving with steady speed.

"Tell me more." Sasuke asked, taking another turn towards the association of his neighborhood.

Sakura takes a big breath before turning to Sasuke; his back straight as he drives into the entrance of his cul-de-sac and tells him about her day, starting from where she met his neighbors and surprisingly, how much Naruto ate and so on. Sasuke remained quiet, listening patiently as he drove into his driveway, parking his car and turning off the engine.

"Sounds like you had fun." Sasuke takes his key from the ignition and finally turns his body and attention to Sakura, whom sat there, comfortably in her seat.

"Yeah," Sakura agrees, feeling her stomach flip. She recalled her earlier memory of wanting Sasuke to come but what had Naruto in a tight knot? She had no clue… Why hadn't Naruto wanted Sasuke to come? Why hadn't Sasuke been invited? Was Naruto smarter than Sasuke has underestimated him to be? Sakura shakes her head, her mind drifting to a thought she had pushed aside all this time. _Wish you were there though. _

"We'll go someplace better." Sasuke offered, as if he heard what she was thinking. He turns his waist and opens his door, one foot outside. Sakura blinks and turns to Sasuke, her emerald eyes locking onto his onyx ones. She swallows, her eyes wandering over his features as he turns away. He, indeed, looked tired— no, exhausted; maybe she shouldn't push him to his limit. But there was one thing that has been idling, something she wanted to say; something she couldn't finish saying before Naruto interrupted with a call.

"Sasuke?" His name jumps off her tongue before she can take it back. He pauses midway of getting out from the car and swivels his neck to her, his eyes matching hers again. "I… about before," She swallows, her eyes averting from his to her lap. She grounds her hands into fists before releasing the pressure. Come on, she thinks to her self; at least tell him what you want him to do. Just think, Sakura, if you were to tell him what he wanted to do for you then you'll be one step off his plate… but not quite out of his hair. "I… I'm reconsidering about… filing a case on the… recent incident… I was exposed in."

He didn't say anything after that. Her mind quickly processes the facts that she'll need more proof than just a fax paper. Just thinking about the incident made her bones quiver; the memory still vivid in her mind. Panicking a little, Sakura's eyes quickly flickers to his, and surprises her. The expression within his eyes held a soft glow, as if he discovered something worthier than gold. She parts her lips, her chest pounding with momentum as he looks her over, his head slowly moving up and down, his lips parting in slow motion that Sakura almost forgot how to breathe. "Don't worry," She hears him say, his hand reaching towards her own, "I'll be beside you the whole time."

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After having unpacked her suitcase she brought in earlier that morning, Sakura descends the stairs and makes her way passed the kitchen to the living room. Noticing that Sasuke was absent from the room, Sakura smoothly treads to the long couch, her mind winded up on thoughts that have been taking up most of her night. One of her thoughts that made her anxious was the money she had borrowed from Sasuke's secret hidden stash. She swallowed hard, her eyes flickering to the kitchen. After Sakura ran upstairs to her room and Sasuke disappeared while she got herself ready for the night. But had Sasuke really just disappeared to check up on his stash? Sakura wasn't sure.

Sighing, Sakura slides into a sitting position on the arm of the sofa. She furrows her brow as the anxiety of wanting to return the borrow money took over her feelings and mind. Once she gets her next allowance, she'll repay him, she decides. "Oh wait," She mutters, lifting her hand and palming her forehead in realization, "That's just guilty money."

'_**Dear Sakura, since we'll be gone for the time being, we'll be sending you your allowance at the end of every month until we return. Till then, be safe and stay healthy. Love always; Mom and Dad.'**__ Sakura read from the letter attached to the envelope the money her parents mailed to her. _

And they did stay true to their words. Sakura didn't doubt that her parents felt a little guilty on leaving her for an annual mission trip. As if money will forgive them, ha! A couple months back, she hadn't cared, only using the money for food and necessities but now… now that she needed money to return some cash— where else can she get it from? She sure doesn't have a job and if she did get one, it'll be very late till Sasuke sees a difference to his hidden bank.

Sakura plops back onto the couch, her surroundings quickly flashing before her very eyes until she settles on the ceiling. Pressing her lips together, she stares hard at the thought of placing guilty money into the hands of someone who took her in because he wanted his house to feel livelier. Just the idea made Sakura groan aloud, sending her in a short frenzy of squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head frivolously.

"Sakura?" Sasuke's voice slips through her thoughts, catching her attention. She sits up with a jolt, hoping he didn't see her… or heard her whining. Forcing a response with a curious look, she watches as Sasuke places some papers down on the kitchen counter before walking towards her. "Let's talk about you staying here."

Well, that isn't what Sakura was expecting at all. Ever since Sasuke dropped the bomb on her and gotten her approval in rooming with him, she didn't think he would state some ground rules on her staying. But, on the other hand, she didn't think this particular subject wouldn't pop up sooner or later. "Like what," She speaks up, shooting him a grin. "A curfew?"

Her smile disappeared the moment it lit up as she immediately saw the corners of his lips turn up in a very wicked smirk, "Granted. I'll add that to the list."

"W-what?" Sakura sputters, sitting straight up, her face ashen. Was he serious? Oh darn, why did she have to suggest _that_? She swore to herself not to come up with another idea, in case he decides to add it to their "supposed" contract.

"Sakura," His voice was hushed, as he stood approximately nose to nose with her. She gasps, her eyes flashing to his and realizes what situation she's in. Her face glows red in response. How embarrassing, she thinks and wonders if she should push him away or lean further back and try to get herself out from under him.

"You know," She stutters, her gaze breaking from his as she looks anywhere but his face. "I, uh, really am a punctual person. So no need for a cur—"

"Is that so?" He breathed. She could feel his breath travel down her collarbone. She gulps and leans back a little, not wanting to make it awkward between him and her.

"Yeah," She replies, placing a hand on his chest and pushes him back. Nervously, she laughs, "I, uh— um! You know what, I was just kidding about the whole curfew thing. You really don't need to add it in your list of rules. Seriously!"

Gosh, he must be thinking she can't take the heat! She thinks feverishly, her hand wanting to palm her forehead. How stupid could she sound? Be? That was so not convincing!

"Heh," He chuckles, leaning back to her ear. She holds her breath as he whispers three little words, "So was I."

He, what? What is he trying to say? Is he seriously punctual like I am? Well, I guess he has to be, since he's a lawyer and all. She pauses and looks at him with a skeptical look. He looks down at her, amusement lingering in his eyes. And that is what triggers her realization. Wait, was he playing with her? She drops her jaw in disbelief; her chest rising in the excitement.

"You…" She growls, purposefully hitting his arm as revenge for tricking her, "So mean."

He chuckles, and leans further towards her, making her fall back onto the sofa with a tiny squeak. Gasping, she widens her eyes as he starts bending over her knees, his chest moving closer and as if she was in the movie Matrix, she breathlessly watched as his hands loomed over until it was on both sides of the sofa cushion, trapping her from between. This position she's in, could she get out of it? Both of his arms flexed, giving her a view of his muscles. Then again, did she want to? She swallows and clears her throat, "So, uh, what do you have in mind?"

He grins, mischievously.

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"This is what you had in mind?" Sakura paced the living room, her eyes roaming down each line of the list of ground rules. Having believed that Sasuke would actually have a ridiculous amount of hardcore rules but after seeing his list of to do's and what not, Sakura snorts.

"Knock before entering, if permission is granted. Clean after yourself, i.e. bathroom, kitchen, given rooms. No bringing home strangers even if they claim to be your BFF…" Sakura raises a brow at Sasuke who sat on the arm of the sofa, one leg dangling off on the side while his arms were crossed.

"Sasuke, this is basic knowledge… where's the down-to-earth rules you supposedly have hiding up your sleeves?

"Oh, that?" The left corner of Sasuke's lips rises and smirks. Sakura narrows her eyes and gives Sasuke a weird but distrustful look as he jerks a thumb behind him, "It's on the dining room table next to the stack of papers."

"Uh huh…" Sakura nods, pressing her lips together in a thin line while Sasuke just sits on his seat, his face poker face as he stares back. "So, are you going to get it?"

"Hn." His answer sounding alike one of those sure-yet-not-so-sure types of responses.

Sakura stands there, waiting for Sasuke to get up and get his list of rules but as she waits, Sasuke just sits there, his mouth quirked up in amusement. Sighing aloud, Sakura twists her lips to the side and mutters to herself, "So lazy; I'll get it."

She hears him chuckle as she makes her way to the dining room, her mind focused on the list next to the stack of papers Sasuke informed her on. But as she got closer to the table, her eyes stop at the stack of papers itself. Where was the list? Reaching forward, she sorts through the stack, wondering if the list was under it until her eye caught two signature agreements at the bottom of the stack.

Baffled, her mind pauses at the sight and she asks herself, could this be it? Grabbing the whole stack, her hand slips and she ends up watching the pages leaf to the floor, each sheet unfolding itself.

"_You have_ **got** to be kidding me," She gapes, her eyes widening as the stack continues unfolding itself. She hisses under her breath, "Don't tell me _this_ is what he was talking about!"

"You found it yet?" Sasuke calls from the living room, his voice sounding none too innocent with a mix of enjoyment in there as well, as Sakura turns her head to the sound of his voice, fazed. "It's not that hard to spot actually."

Breaking from her trance, Sakura bends down and scoops up the dangling linked papers in her arms and makes her way back to Sasuke whom now resides on resting fully on the cushions, his right hand covering his eyes. He smirks then.

Sakura's throat rumbles as rounds the couch and throws the pile onto his lower abdomen. "What kind of caveman are you… to- to even come up with something this long?" Sakura exclaims, planting both her hands on either side of her hips. "That's real funny, Sasuke."

"What makes you think that?" Sasuke asks, one eye peeking from under his arm.

"Obviously, you must have had a lot of free time on your hands!"

"Uh… not really. I had numerous of mothers that offered to make some suggestions."

Sakura raises a brow; her mind quickly processes his words and soon realizes the answers are next door. She palms her forehead and shakes her head in disbelief.

"Sasuke, I hope you didn't use them to your advantage," Sakura reasons, snapping her hand away from her face and shooting a small glare down at her former host. Sasuke covers his eyes again and cracks a smile before removing his arm and blinking his eyes up at her.

"I didn't."

"Okay," Sakura finds herself smiling at him, giving up on being slightly overwhelmed by this enormous set of rules. "Well, since these aren't your average rules… what are your personal requirements?"

"My room is off limits," He said, picking his torso up while using his arms to support himself from behind. "I already told you that before; remember it well."

Sakura paces to where his feet rested on the arm and pauses, her arm extended to protest but with one glance made her shut up, seeing that he wasn't playing around this time. She wonders why, maybe he has a secret stash of playboy magazines. Pouting, Sakura places a hand on the arch of the sofa, "Fine. What's next?"

"This house is smoke-free. If you have to smoke, take it outside."

"You're good…" Sakura laughs, exaggerating the end of her sentence by slapping a hand over her chest. "I never touched a cig in my life!"

"Basic household chores, we'll take turns cleaning and helping out, same goes with making breakfast, lunch and dinner, unless we do a take out."

"Fine with me."

"If either of us has anywhere important to go to, we let each other know beforehand or leave a note or voicemail." Sasuke exhales and looks over at his black screen TV and sees his dark silhouette slacking on the couch with Sakura's body melting onto the arch, sliding down where his feet rested. "This is only for precaution. If some emergency occurs, we'll both know where to look the last place you or I went."

Sakura nods, understanding the suggestion. "Okay, anything else?"

Turning his attention back to Sakura, Sasuke sits up, letting the papers fall to the floor and at the same time, grabs a hold of Sakura's upper arm and pulls her over his legs. Sakura gasps out of pure shock as her face plants itself onto his chest. Sakura blushes, feeling the heat radiate through his thin shirt. "Bringing home strangers and having sexual ministrations with them is absolutely not allowed."

At hearing this, Sakura widens her eyes at him, her face completely red at his prospect assumption of her ever bringing home a boy to do _that _kind of thing. Swallowing hard, Sakura nods abruptly, forgetting the fact that she was practically laying on top of her new roommate. "That counts… even for you, right?"

There was a moment of silence between the two. Sakura stared down at Sasuke, waiting for his answer, wondering if he was going to agree with her or not. It wouldn't be fair if he got to bring home a girl, right? _…Even if it is his house. _Before Sakura could ask another question, Sakura finds herself toppling over Sasuke and onto the ground with a small yelp. Flipping her hair away from her face, she shoots a pouty glare up at the now proper seated man before her, grinning down at her amusingly, "Sasuke, what was that for?"

What surprised Sakura even more was how close Sasuke was leaning towards her face, their noses merely inches from touching and her jaded orbs locked on his own dark orbs, flickering with temptation. "So Sa-ku-ra," He rolled the syllables of her name off his tongue, his breath fanning her face as he reaches forward, his hand extended. "Do we have a deal?"

"What?" Sakura blinks a couple of times before his question registers in her mind. She backs away, her eyes now focused attentively on his right hand. Parting her lips, Sakura nods and slips her own hand in his, feeling satisfied when he tightened his hold on her hand.

Their agreement was done. Sakura Haruno is officially Sasuke Uchiha's new roommate. Sakura smiles, mostly to herself but can't help it if Sasuke notices because right now, this moment of silence between them, with Sasuke's warm hand embraced with hers, is what's making the atmosphere mutual and comfortable. Or it seemed… Sakura thinks to herself, and yawns. Getting up, she says her goodnights to Sasuke before rushing upstairs and redressing herself in her pajamas and walking to the bathroom to brush her teeth, half dazed.

Shutting off the faucet and placing her toothbrush in the cup beside Sasuke's, the question that was left unanswered by her roommate floated to the back of her mind, unconsciously untouched and unaware. Walking out of the bathroom, Sakura yawns big, her eyes watering as she turns her attention to the stairs. _Sasuke… _Feeling heavy with drowsiness, her new room flashes in her mind— the soft, plush pillows and big comforter covering her warm bed and she thinks, oh, how comfortable it looks! Trudging towards the room, she slugs her way to the bed and falls in a heap, the mattress cushioning underneath her as she nods off.

_For some reason_, Sakura's thinks before her mind falls into unconsciousness, _this pillow smells like Sasuke. _

Then again, his whole house smells like him…

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Lying on the couch, Sasuke reopens his eyes— blinking away the tiredness that overwhelmed him. After today, he doesn't want to even think of heading to work tomorrow. He just wants to catch up on sleep and hang out with Sakura.

'_Sa-ku-ra.' _

Sasuke exhales deeply before flipping himself upright and tilted his head from the silence above him. Did Sakura finish getting ready for bed? Getting up, Sasuke trudges around the couch, picks up the 'contract' and drops it on the kitchen table before heading to the stairs.

Reaching the top step, Sasuke raises a brow at the open guest room door— was Sakura too tired that she forgot to close her now permanent bedroom door? Unsure and quite tired, Sasuke walks forward, passing his open room to see if Sakura made it to her bedroom—

_Wait! _Sasuke's eyes narrows as he stops in mid-step. Falling back, Sasuke peers into his room and sees feet dangling off his bed, a mass of pink hair covering his pillow and her breathing, heavy.

Sighing aloud, Sasuke rubs the back of his neck and walks into his room. Seriously, after all the talk he tried to warn her in the contract— she goes and breaks it! When will she learn? But as Sasuke peeks closer, his eyes softens as he takes in her worn out face; her mouth slightly open and he could hear the soft snores that protruded from her throat.

"Should I wake her?" Sasuke thinks aloud, taking a step towards his bed. If he doesn't, she might realize when she wakes up that he'd go easy on her and might consider exchanging his room for the guest bedroom.

Taking a moment of arguable silence, Sasuke narrows his eyes and strides to her side— bending down, Sasuke uses his arms to slide under Sakura's body and pull her up and into his arms. "This won't do— I will not yield to this cunning girl." He muttered under his breath as he carries her out of his room and down the hall.

As he walks into her room, Sasuke feels her move in his arms and his chest shirt tightens. Walking to the bed and pulling back the covers, Sasuke carefully settles Sakura down, her hand still fisting his shirt, not letting go. Failing to get her grip off, Sasuke wonders if she was having a significant dream of using her nails as a death weapon. If so, maybe he should take off his shirt so he can be relieved from being the conscious victim of Sakura's so-called 'dream tribute'.

Shaking his head, Sasuke leans down and whispers at Sakura's sleeping form, "Sakura."

"Sakura, hey, you're hurting my poor shirt." Sasuke says gently, letting out a short tease while shaking her fist from his shirt. "Let go."

Despite his efforts, Sasuke got nowhere. Stuck between having a girl fist his shirt and feeling dead tired from work, Sasuke makes a quick but final decision, neither him nor Sakura would recall in the morning.

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_She was on the train again, sitting perfectly still— her back tense as the scenery flew by in slow motion. Silhouette people were standing afar, some families with children and others, teenagers and elderly, however; none did not acknowledge her or even realized she was there. _

_Feeling slightly disoriented by her surroundings, Sakura turns her head and gasps at the sudden silhouette sitting beside her. He wore a dark suit and a brown hat that covered his facial features. _

_She eyes the seated man and waits for time to pass when all of a sudden; she feels a hand on her knee. Widening her eyes, Sakura peers down and see that the hand belonged to the suited man beside her. Swiping the hand off, Sakura slides across down a seat— sitting further away from the man. Instead of getting the hint, the man slides down towards her and Sakura finds herself cornered to the exit, away from the civilians that could help her. _

_Opening her mouth, the seated man beside her speaks up, his voice low and familiar. _

"_Hey sweet cheeks, you seem timid… is there anything wrong?" The man grinned, illuminating a bright smile. He offers a fist and opens it, revealing two pills. _

_Not knowing what the man wanted or why he was offering, Sakura politely shakes her head and turns away, ignoring the option before her. Thankfully the man didn't bother her anymore. _

_But that didn't mean she was safe. Hearing the subway train announce a nearing destination, Sakura readies herself and stands up and waits for the train to stop and the doors to open. Once it does, the door piles in a mass of suits and blocks Sakura from getting out onto the platform, the doors closing and she, missing out on her exit. _

_No noises came out from her short cry as the doors closed and the sudden bumps and rude pushing. Sakura squeezes through the suits and grabs a hold of a nearby pole, gripping it and pulling herself to a corner, for now, safe from the crowd. _

_As the train lurches forward, Sakura feels her back being pushed and her front rams against the windowed doors. Flinching, her arm still extended and holding onto the pole, Sakura turns her head to glare at the many suits who could've pushed her but when she did so, she saw Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata instead._

"_N-Naruto, its fine," Hinata stands between the two boys, her hands pushing the two apart, "I was just filling in for my father. It was my choice."_

_It didn't seem that Naruto heard what Hinata said, pushing her aside, and gets up in Sasuke's face. As much as Sakura wanted to step in, her fist was glued around the safety pole. "Sasuke?" She finally lets out, her voice carrying a worried tone._

_But it didn't seem Sasuke heard her either, neither of them did. With Sasuke just standing there, doing nothing made Sakura's insides churn as she watches Naruto fist fly back for a starter—_

"_N-no!" Sakura and Hinata call out at the same time. "Don't Naruto, don't hurt him!"_

"_Why not? He deserves it!" Naruto snarls, his eyes glowing fierce, as his arm swings forward, his fist flies towards Sasuke's nonchalant face. _

'_Sasuke, move!' Sakura's mouth moved but her voice had gone silent, '__**Move!**__'_

_The scene in front of her slows as Naruto's fist meets the bridge of Sasuke's nose and then suddenly the scene changes and Sakura's eyes widen as she's narrows onto the fist closing in on her face._

_Suddenly, the train jerks forward and at the same time, the pole rips off its hinges along with Sakura as she's thrown across the floor; sliding down the aisle as if the train was falling head first down a cliff. Sakura screams, her hand still fisting the pole and the other hand flailing for something to catch onto but she feels as if she's in a free fall void and everything she comes in contact with her hand is invisible._

"_Help!" Sakura shrieks, her chest beating so fast; it felt endless. "Someone help me!"_

"_Sakura?" Two intertwined voices spoke her name in such a gentle way. _

_Sakura gasps at the familiar voices. The pole she was holding onto crashes onto two other poles on either side of the train's aisles with a loud clang. Sakura feels a severing pain shoot from her shoulder as she hangs there quite devastated at her situation. _

_Her eyes water, not from the pain, but at the two people standing before her. Their silhouette forms disappear and their faces appear with such warm, caring eyes. _

"_Mom? Dad?" Sakura starts, watching as her mom walks up the train vertically. "What's going on? Why are you here?"_

"_Weren't you the one who called for us?" Her father asked, appearing at the front of the train cart. "We were worried about you, so here we are."_

_Sakura breathes heavily, her chest tight with fright that she's scared if she lets go of the pole, she'll fall to the depths of despair. "But…"_

"_Honey, let go of the pole." Her mother says, now kneeling beside her, both hands on her fist glued around the pole. "Let go."_

"_What?" Sakura gasps aloud, her eyes darting back from her fist to her mom and back, repeating the same process to her dad too. _

_Hands enwrap around her own, sharp nails digging into her fingers, trying to pry one at a time. Scared, Sakura wriggles and kicks out at her mom, screaming, "No! Don't!"_

"_Sakura, you're hurting me!" Her mom yells out, digging harder into Sakura's skin. "Sakura!"_

"_Let go, Sakura." Her dad calls calmly from below. _

_Sakura inhales deeply and feels one of her fingers loosen. If she lets go, will her father catch her? "Let go…?"_

"_Let go." Her mom chants._

"_Let go." Her dad chants._

_Should she trust them? Could she? Sakura squeezes her eyes shut, her mind racing for answer, all the while her parents chanted the same two words. Reopening her eyes, Sakura tightens her hold on the pole— but wait, something felt off. Instead of the hard steel her hand is holding onto, it's warm and sturdy. Sakura whips her head up and sees the familiar face, the nonchalant expression he has, and the determination burned in his eyes. Sasuke!_

"_**Come to me…**__" Her dad's voice snaps, breaking Sakura's concentration, and suddenly, Sakura slips out and skids down the aisle once again, her frightened eyes catching her mother's flashing grin. Shrieking, she falls forward, her arms ready to embrace her father's opening arms. _

"_Sakura!" Sasuke shouts just as Sakura's dad opens the cart door instead and Sakura sees an empty abyss._

_No! No! No! __**No!**__**NO!**_

X

Sakura wakes up with a start, her breaths uneven as she looks up at the grayish ceiling that is reflecting from the lights outside the window, "Just a bad dream."

Turning over on her side, Sakura glances at the alarm clock sitting on top of the nightstand beside her bed that read five minutes 'til four AM. Groaning from the lack of sleep, Sakura's vision flickers across the room and squints at the feeling of being disoriented. "Ah, geez, Sakura, you're over your head!" She whispers to herself, mentally palming the side of her head.

Feeling hot from her nightmare, Sakura takes in three deep breaths before closing her eyes again, unknown to the fact that she wasn't at all at home, or alone for that matter.

X

_This time, Sakura is in a black and white setting. Crayon and Kiba is there, standing on the street corner of the very first club Sasuke took her to, Rigolette. _

_She calls out to them but they didn't respond. She looks at them weirdly and decides to jump them from behind. But as she goes and does so, they knock over like broom sticks, making a clatter sound. Sakura laughs, not knowing why she found it funny— maybe because she thought she had just been pranked, but when she realized no one was around… maybe she had imagined she saw the two acquaintances. _

_A quick flash of red whizzes by her peripheral vision and as soon as Sakura turns her head, she sees the club's door left wide open. Walking towards the entrance, she doesn't hesitate to pause and think of her actions before entering the site. _

_She had remembered sticking close to Sasuke that she hadn't remembered taking any turns. Recalling the first time she stepped into the club, she had lost Sasuke and accidentally bumped into a big sturdy man. A pervert, she assumed._

_With the same voice that demanded an apology, Sakura feels his breath travel down her neck. Jumping forward out of surprise, she immediately thinks, 'Spoke too soon.'_

_His hand swept the edge of her collarbone and curved it up her neck to her cheek. He smiled and stepped into her bubble. Sakura cringed and jerked to the side— not a good sign for the person behind her who growled and blocked her escape with his big body build._

_Not liking her situation at all, she moves her head from side to side, hoping to find someone she knew, or at least could help her out from this terrible reenactment. Where was Sasuke when she needed him? _

_The man before her growled again and pushed her lightly backwards, her footing stepping back for balance of being pushed. Furrowing her brows, Sakura snaps her eyes up and glares at the man. _

_What was with this guy? What was his problem anyway?_

"_Apologize to me," He bent down to her height and slurred into her face, his nose breezing past her cheek and into her hair. _

_Sakura shivers at the contact and sweeps to the side and once again gets blocked._

_The man laughs aloud and steps in her path again, his arms spread wide, trapping her against the wall, "Where do you think you're going, babe?"_

"_My name is not babe," Sakura growls, feeling annoyed with this guy. "Can you move please? You're way into my personal space!"_

"_Well, babe," The guy laughs smartly, and shoves her against the wall, both hands gripping her shoulders, and buries his face into the curve of her neck, saying "sorry to break it to you, but you're breathing my air."_

_And just then did she feel like the air was being sucked from her throat. Sakura widens her eyes in confusion and shock. For a moment, she unconsciously knew what he meant but as she stared into his chest feeling bewildered, her mind was racing for an answer, an escape; for help._

_She gasps, her hands flying to her throat. She can feel her vocal chords strain and suddenly spiritually see her voice weave from her lips to a silhouette woman that had walked up, and slid her arms around the said man's waist. She watches as the woman before her breathes in her vocal chords and transform her silhouette into someone that has been sketched into Sakura's memory. The girl in front of her had vibrant red hair and the coldness in her eyes held sick amusement for Sakura. _

_Sakura swallows, her mind revealing the name of the girl before her— Karin-_

"_Ah," says Karina, and eyes her with a snicker. "What's wrong, Violet? You look a bit too blue."_

_Sakura scrunches her brows together at the nickname. Violet? Usually, people would mock her and call her pinkie but, vi— she looks down at her arms and hands and gapes. Indeed, she was feeling blue, however, what Karina had said was absolutely true- she was actually blue- almost smurf blue! If Sakura could scream, she would have right there and then. _

_She looks back up terrified and silently screams at the sight in front of her. Instead of the sturdy man that Karina had embraced, stood the artist that had captured her heart back in high school. _

_He was the same Sai she had dated except his face was bloody and his arm was broken— the bone practically punctured through his skin— and he looked so ghastly that Sakura wanted to look anywhere else but him; them. _

_Karina giggles as Sai turns and buries his face into Karina's hair, nuzzling her. Sakura looked sick and shy all of a sudden. Awkwardly, Sakura moves to her left, slipping pass the lovebirds but didn't get far as Karina swiftly grabs her wrist and yanks her back to her. _

_Karina digs her nails into Sakura's skin as she whispers deadly into her ear, "Didn't I tell you that you'd suffer?"_

_Sakura shivers and bites down on her tongue, scared to know what would happen to her if she yanked away and ran— which she did after Karina threatens her with dirty words and offered one name that made Sakura's vision shatter. _

_Running from her fellow enemy and dead ex, and through the dark corridors that never seemed to end, Sakura trips over her feet and falls to the floor, her face streaking with tears. _

_It was quiet, too quiet for Sakura's liking. For a slight second, she remembers she is dreaming and then it was gone, making Sakura cry harder at not finding an exit to this horrid place. She didn't want to be there- she regrets having stepped inside and not paying attention to her surroundings or the route that Sasuke was leading her to the dance floor. _

_A waft of icy air sweeps through the corridor she was in making Sakura's teeth chatter. She swallows and looks around her and sees nothing but darkness. Will I be stuck here forever? Her mind runs, blowing up her thoughts into comic captions, will I ever be found?_

"_Sakura chan?" A voice too familiar, too hyper for her taste asks. "Sakura, is that y—"_

_Surprised at the presence of her friend, she turns around. Not expecting his sudden shout, Sakura slaps a hand over her chest, half startled and half flabbergasted. _

"_You're… blue…" Naruto breathes out heavily, laughing a little, before kneeling beside her and asking her several of concerned questions. _

_Despite his efforts in being there, Sakura launches forward and hugs him tightly, her bubble thoughts appearing above her, Naruto am I glad you're here! _

_Sakura pulls away, her eyes immediately captured by Naruto's bright, vibrant sea blue eyes. Weirdly enough, his eyes made light of her personal circle, but at that moment, Sakura didn't care. _

"_Sakura, you're crying!" Naruto gasps, reaching his hand up and brush away a tear, that turned into a blue streak- that's now a long blue smudge. Naruto clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth before scratching his cheek, feeling slightly antsy and yet, mistakenly guilty. "If I wasn't mistaken, you almost remind me of that one character of the movie with the little blue people… cartoon… cartoon people."_

_Sakura shoots Naruto a serious, dull look. Which one? She recaps, if I recall correctly, all the characters in the movie Smurf, were __**blue!**_

"_Ah, that's what it's called!" Naruto laughs awkwardly before receding into a very long, long silence. _

_Naruto flashes a quick smile and drops it with a point two record. _

_Sakura puckers her bottom lip out and makes a whiny sound in her throat. Oh boy, here come the water works- as her mind refreshes of her random adventures that never happened before Naruto came along._

"_Oh, would you look at that?" Naruto stops Sakura from speaking further, "Your tears are washing the blue out."_

_From an above perspective, Sakura sees the blue wash away from her skin as more tears rain down her face. Oh yeah, she thinks, you're right. Feeling more disoriented and self conscious of her different perspectives, Sakura goes back in her body and ends her tears with a swipe of her arm over her eyes, drying them._

_The sense of cleanliness overwhelms her as she sits back and faces Naruto again, her lips open to apologize for having Naruto see her like this, but then she remembers she can't speak. _

"_Anyway," Naruto began— Sakura feels as if he almost understood what she was going through— "why were you crying Sakura? Did you get hurt anywhere- ARE you hurt!? Did someone hurt you?" _

_Naruto throws her a long list of questions and finally, his tone transitions to almost a deadly whisper as Sasuke's name slips off his tongue. "Was it __**Sasuke**__?"_

_Sakura blinks back, startled at Naruto's jumped conclusion and sits up straight and waves her hands, dismissing his incorrect guesses. But Naruto was too focused on Sasuke being the bad guy to notice Sakura's antic hands._

"_He must have! He got to Hinata; now you too?" Naruto growls, his eyes growing from light to a cold, darker cobalt color. "That- that teme!"_

_He curses his friend's name, mumbling to himself before turning back to Sakura, "Sakura, I can do so much better than that guy! So forget Sasuke and be with me!"_

_What? Sakura's eyes widen in disbelief as she stares at Naruto babbling off on a streak of chivalry speeches and notions. It went on, and on, and on, and on, until Sakura was fed up and slapped her hand over Naruto's mouth, shutting him up almost immediately. _

_Naruto, her mind captioned and she drops her hand, giving Naruto a look of seriousness, shut up and listen to—_

_The moment his lips were on hers did Naruto lose it; Sakura felt irritated that he had cut her off with a smack kiss! And a kiss, no less! Sakura thinks, her hands shoving against Naruto's chest and pushes him off her._

_If she could talk, oh- she would speak her mind and talk an ear off! Sakura touches her lips, covering it with the tips of her fingers as she glances back at Naruto. He gazes at her a little too strongly, his eyes locking onto hers and the next words he spoke made her shiver because at that moment, she knew she wasn't at all safe with a body guard, no less, a bouncer who was stronger and bigger than her. "It's okay Sakura, you're __**safe**__ with me."_

"_**I'll**__ take _really good_ care of you," He continues, his tone deep- as in creepy deep- and he leans forward, gently pushing her fingers away from her face so he could cup her face instead. _

_Sakura swallows hard as she watches Naruto dip his eyes down to her lips, her neck and someplace she did not want to think of at all. "I'll protect you with my life." He says._

_**Please don't**__, Sakura thinks inwardly, knowing she didn't feel that way towards him._

"_Forget that teme, he's a douche." He continues, "He wasn't there for you when you really needed help."_

_**But he was… he took care of me when I got sick. He gave me a roof over my head. He cheered me up when I was down and he took in an earful of my venting when I was drunk.**_

_Naruto slips one hand behind her neck, pulling her closer to him as he nestles his face sideways into the crook of her neck, "He's keeping secrets from you."_

_**True, he wouldn't tell me about why his upstairs bathroom was soundproof**__, Sakura admits to herself. __**But, he did admit that my presence makes his home feel livelier. **_

"_Unlike him, I'm an honest man, Sakura." Naruto licks her earlobe, making Sakura cringe in startle, "I won't leave you alone, I'll be there for you when you're down, when you need help or someone to love. I'm your man, Sakura."_

_Sakura lowers her eyes, her eyes clouded with mixed up thoughts and feelings. But, she caps and then continues to think inwardly, __**you're just not him, Naruto… **_

_Naruto shoves Sakura back to the ground, his eyes dangerously narrowed. Sakura widens her eyes in shock, her hands displayed to the sides. He sneers, "I'm better than him, Sakura!"_

_But, what about- The thought floats over them, Hinata?_

"_Gone- Sasuke took her away and corrupted her!" Naruto shouted, and hovers over her on all fours. "Sasuke is a man of persuaded words- you can be a goner-" He snaps his fingers in demonstration, "Just like that."_

_Sakura swallows again and purses her lips. _

"_He's a gigolo! He plays with women's feelings and wraps them around his fingers until they're trapped-" Naruto lowers his eyes onto Sakura's chest, his hands twitching in temptation._

_Seeing this, Sakura felt scared and pulled her arms, blocking her chest from him. Don't do anything rash, Naruto. You're not that type of guy!_

"_But I am your type of guy," Naruto grabs her wrists and bends forward, capturing her lips without her consent._

_Sakura cries out silently, incidentally letting his tongue slide in and explore her cavern. Wriggling underneath him, Sakura wrestles her cuffed hands and tries to push him off. But with Naruto being a tough bouncer, he had an upper advantage against Sakura, however not a lower advantage as he had expected. Not liking the feel of being helpless or pitiable, Sakura kicks out of reflex to the most vulnerable spot a guy treasures most than his looks. _

_Howling in pain, Sakura pushes Naruto off her and rolls to her feet, brushing off her lips with her arm._

"_Itai!" Naruto holds his crotch with both hands, his face red from the pain. "Ugh, god, it hurts!"_

_I warned you, Naruto, Sakura thinks, her bubble caps growing bigger, taking a step around Naruto, and readying herself to run if needed to. Besides, however short that I've been with Sasuke, I know enough to realize that he's __**not**__ that type of guy __**you**__ make him out to be. I thought you were his best friend, his childhood friend, for Pete's sake! Are you that jealous because Hinata happened to be with Sasuke at the wrong time, wrong place? Didn't she say she was filling in for her father?_

"_You're so full of yourself, you know that?" Naruto cries from the ground, a vein popping from his throat, "Sasuke never cared for anyone, no less a girl like you! He probably got bored and wanted to play around-"_

_Are you saying I'm Sasuke's plaything because he befriended me? In what right mind did you get that idea, Naruto? Sakura's thoughts screamed in caption. _

_Naruto falls silent before breaking into a fit of chortles, "Why else would he keep his soundproof bathroom for?_

_He lures girls in his house without them knowing the truth, snaking his way through their feelings before gaining their trusts! Then he does things a girl like yourself could never imagine he'd do; shouldn't do—"_

_How… do you know that? Sakura realizes, a deep memory surfacing of Sasuke telling that not even Naruto knew of his secret bathroom. But here Naruto is chattering about it, accusing Sasuke of his false knowledge and getting up finally and limping towards her with a perfidious aura surrounding his background._

"_Oh god, don't tell me you're on his side!" Naruto shouted, "Don't tell me you want him; to be with him!"_

_Sakura continues to back away slowly as Naruto vents. For a second, he seemed to walk even slower than she but his voice was creeping closer that she felt the need to turn and run._

"_After all I did, done for you— you'd choose him?!" Naruto continues before Sakura could think. "Don't betray me like she did!"_

_Betray? Why would I betray Naruto? Sakura questions confusedly. _

"_Do you actually __**like**__ that type of guy?" Naruto voiced out and disappears from her sight._

_Sakura's eyes flies to the left and then to the right, searching from where Naruto's voice began but couldn't trace his whereabouts. _

_He snorts, "Open your eyes, Saki; that guy is a traitor to all mankind, including me!"_

_Sakura instantly grounds her hands into fists and glares in the darkness. By instinct, her voice seemed to appear at that moment she said, "Don't call me that!"_

_Suddenly out of no where, bright lit eyes zoomed into her face, hands straddling her hips, holding her in place as he yells. "I thought you were different!"_

"_N-Nar— you're hurting me!" Sakura flinches as his hands grips tightly onto her waistline. "Stop it, let go of me!"_

_He continues to chants the same previous sentence over and over again until his fingers have dug deeper and even, punctured through her skin as Sakura cries aloud, wriggling and kicking- hoping to find an escape._

"_No- stop it!" She yells at the top of her lungs, "Stop it; it hurts!"_

"_Where's Sasuke now?" Naruto growls into a hearty laugh, "He probably got tired of you and—"_

"_No you're wrong!" Sakura shouts at his accusations and proceeds giving Naruto a list of Sasuke's good points. _

_Naruto grasps Sakura's meat and grounds it in her hands, making her cry out in agony as she snaps forward, her hip going out from under her. _

"_I get it now… you're just like him! You're a traitor too and that's why you guys teamed up against me!"_

_What? "That doesn't- that's not true, Naruto!"_

"_Saki, Saki, Saki," Naruto shakes his head in disappointment, "I thought you'd knew this by now- you can't get rid of me that easily."_

"_Stop that nonsense!" Sakura holds onto Naruto's shoulders for balance._

"_I'll be there for you, Saki."_

"_Stop it!"_

"_I'll be in your dreams when you feel restless."_

"_You're crazy!"_

"_Face it Saki, I can replace Sasuke-"_

"_We weren't even together to begin with!"_

"…_Sure and that contract Sasuke made and you signed is BS." _

"_Stop it, you don't know that! How would you know that?" Sakura yells, finally realizing she's sleeping. "I know I'm dreaming and you're just a figment of my imagination mixed up with feelings and events that had happened in real life! You're not real in my dreams- this Naruto isn't you!"_

_**Sakura.**_

"_You don't know anything about me! You __**don't**__ know me!" And like a dream does, Sakura imagines Naruto as a hot air balloon deflating as she talks an earful. _

_**Sakura.**_

"_And Sasuke is a good person- he took me in and showed me places, places he wouldn't show just anyone! He's sweet and charming, funny and takes cares of others! He's—"_

_**Sakura, wake up.**_

_That's Sasuke's voice, Sakura snaps to attention. "Sasuke?"_

"_Sak- don't leave me!" Naruto is short now, his deflation to a wrong for the worst- only his skin was floating to the floor. "I thought you were different, Saki."_

_Sakura pauses and then smiles softly at Naruto, "You're right, Naruto. I am different."_

_**Sakura…**_

"_Sasuke's calling for me and I'm going to him." Sakura closes her eyes and exhales heavily._

X

Reopening her eyes, Sakura blinks a couple of times before slowly locking her gaze onto concerned ones.

"I must say that you have one heck of a right hook." Sasuke teases, breaking Sakura's faint breathing, "Almost ripped my heart out."

Sakura shoots a relieved smile, not quite sure why Sasuke was in her room- probably because of her nightmare, but right now wasn't a good time to discuss it.

"Well, I didn't expect you to room in with me," Sakura teases and props her head onto her angled arm, "I often don't have sleepovers because I kick in my sleep, push people off and I steal the blankets— ha, basically, I'm really greedy in bed!"

"…." Sasuke raises both eyes brows and quietly stares at Sakura as she realizes the words that spilled out her mouth. "Well, that explains a lo—"

"Sorry!" Sakura holds up a hand, stopping Sasuke from speaking the rest of his sentence, "My bad, I worded it wrong!"

Sasuke opens his mouth again but Sakura immediately cuts in, "I know, that sounded wrong. Sorry." She shakes her head and cracks a smile, before bursting into a giggle.

The corner of Sasuke's lips tugs up as he watches her blush from her previous fail. "No hard feelings."

Sakura pauses in her giggles and gives Sasuke a question look, "So, explain to me how you ended up here, in my bed?"

"Who knows?" Sasuke mutters, sitting up, "If I remember, I'll let you know."

"Gee, if you don't remember what happened, then it must have been bad or something…" Sakura furrows her brows and puckers her bottom lip out like a fish. She sits up as well, throwing her feet over the side and looking at the clock on her bed stand that read ten after eleven in the morning.

Sakura gasps, recalling that Sasuke previously mentioned the night before that he had work.

"No need," Sasuke waves at her, dismissing her thought, "I have this policy that if I don't come in my regular time, I'll be coming in two hours after."

Sakura gives him a weird look, "Really? I- I never heard of that kind of policy. It must be nice working with you… unless the policy only serves you."

"No, I'm not that heartless." Sasuke chuckles, shaking his head, "Fifteen minutes for cleaning employees, an hour to a half an hour for regular employees, and two hours for lawyers."

"And who made that policy up?"

He smirks.

"My word stays true." Sakura notes, giving Sasuke a smart look before hopping off the bed and skipping to the door, "So, what are we having Chef Sasuke?"

"What makes you think I'm cooking, Sa-ku-ra?"

"Well, you did say before that you had a cleaning maid," Sakura tilts her head to the side and glances behind her innocently, "However, if she's a cleaning maid, she's not a cooking maid."

Sasuke sits there silently, thinking, admitting to himself that Sakura did have a point.

"Besides, how'd you survive until now, Mr. Healthy Lawyer?" Sakura opens her bedroom door and wistfully glides out the door, only after shooting Sasuke a lovely smile in return.

That girl, Sasuke thinks and stands up and walks to the door, "She is too cunning, I'll give her that."

X

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A/N: Hey guys, I hope this suits your satisfaction! Oh, and I start summer classes next week, so I'll try writing and posting around my schedule and hopefully post more chapters in the summer than from my previous summer. Anyway, please review and let me know how much you enjoyed reading, etc, etc! I always love reading your guys reviews- it makes me more motivated to write more!


	20. Chapter 20

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

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A/N: Hello fellow readers and followers, thank you for keeping up-to-date and waiting all these months for me to finally post. I know I've kept you at a cliff and well, I hope as I keep posting up chapters, it will satisfy your hunger of reading and squealing! RxR

P.S. – Some of you have asked if Karina was actually Karin. Yes, Karin is Karina and this chapter will give you hints— and maybe the reason? Read it to find out!

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xX Karina Xx

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Ever since she flew overseas to recoup the time lost she and her lover could— no, would have had- if not for that stupid pinkette who was the main cause of her troubles, she wouldn't be wallowing on the subject of her boyfriend's death. Karina settles back against the thick mauve cushions of her modway taiji chaise lounge, and breathes a heavy, mournful sigh that could force the sun to extinguish its licking flames.

"What to do," She asks herself aloud; "what to do?"

Not only was the love of her life gone forever, there was another issue at hand that was making Karina's life seem more miserable. Her parents— bright and energetic, and being closed to her family, she knew they have slaved to achieve for her happiness. They had done what any parent would do to make their child happy and to give back their own happiness; Karina knew what she must do, even if it meant breaking their hearts when it hasn't even started.

Karina draws out a loud sigh.

"That's a long sigh for someone who's getting married soon." A deep, calm voice interrupted her brooding thoughts, "It seems like you don't want to—"

"You know as well as I do that its _arranged_," She says, not turning to the said person and slumps further into the cushions, wishing that time would stop, or at least for her, to rewind.

She hears his shoes tap against the tiled marbled floor as he surfaces into her view, his long russet hair tied in the back, swooping like a pony's tail. "If you meant to be funny," He stands in front of her, one hand tucked in his pant's pocket, "I think the term we're looking for is engaged."

"No," Karina draws out, her gaze lifting from his silver pant's buckle, to the casual-layer open button dress shirt, and up at his angular face, his eyes hiding behind his Ray Ban shades. "But it'll be worth seeing the shock on your Uncle's face when he hears of it."

The man before her pauses in thought before showing a smirk, "I think he'll take it well."

"You think…? Mm, maybe I should cancel this plan of ours," She says, forcing a sharp, clever grin onto her lips, "Neji."

"Maybe…?" Neji began, tilting his head forward as he reaches up towards his shades and slowly pulls it down, shooting her a serious, yet teasing gaze. "Says the girl who puts revenge before family or anyone? You must be actually reconsidering about this, huh?"

"I am." Karina shot him a grim look before quickly looking down at her filed, manicured nails, "But then I would be lying… you know I'm too good to be true."

"Not too true for my own good though." Neji chuckles at her bashfulness, and shifts his footing to a slight angle, "But nonetheless, _good_."

She stares at him like he grown two heads and shivers with intention. "You better make sure that's not permanent. Who knows, in the future when you find your dream girl, I'll recite to her the same words you told me."

He opens his mouth, pauses and then mutters under his breath, "Darn, you _would_ do that." He shakes his head and slips a grin before using his back foot to spin a 180, and at the same time takes off his shades and clears his throat before saying, "So, have you broken the news to your parents yet?"

The breeze takes on a sudden chill and sweeps pass them, her red hair bristling against her nose; she doesn't say anything. Neji doesn't turn around, as she expects, knowingly. After Sasuke booked her flight, Karina moped about for weeks in her parents' vacation house overseas until both her parents couldn't take her depression anymore. They did what they thought would take her mind off things by begging and pestering her about taking up a position in their business, but to their disappointment, she denied their requests. The day their hard work paid off was when they finally got fed up with Karina's attitude and behavior, and forced her to attend one of their meetings— one where Neji was present and had willingly accompanied the stubborn red head. After that one fateful day, Neji and Karina were inseparable.

"I thought about it." Karina huffs and shifts her position straighter, picking up her feet and sliding them under her, "I decided not to yet. In case, we need to adjust our plan."

"In that case, my Uncle is hosting a dinner party in three days," Neji announces, glancing back at Karina as she locks eyes with his pallid orbs. "It's to promote one of his company's twenty fifth anniversaries and any company that is beyond the 130th mark is invited."

"And why are you telling me such useless information. You know, as well as I do, that my parent's company just entered the 129th mark this morning." Karina raises an eye brow at him, her voice tinge with impatience.

"In order for a promotion to looks it's best, it needs supporters." Neji began, taking a step back and felt the back of his leg hit the modway, before plopping himself down into the cushions. "In your case, your parent's company will rise as well as my Uncle's if the business acquaints itself with other companies, even if its mark is slightly off. My Uncle only competes with hard-driven corporations that are worth mentioning."

"So killing two birds with one stone, huh?" Karina's eyelid twitches as a new idea pops into her mind; the corner of her lip curving with a devious intent, her next words carried a mischievous tune as she spoke, "Well, expect us to be there."

Karina feels Neji's eyes on her as she clasps her hands together and fiddles her fingers against each other, knowing fully well that her hidden intentions was scaring Neji a bit. But oh, with a plan this good in mind, she knows his Uncle will not like it one bit.

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After two days of avoiding her parent's obsessed chatter about their business, Karina finally steps into the spare living room where her parent's built their own separate offices across from each other. Karina stands in the center and claps her hands together loudly, catching the eyes of her parents, however not their full attentions.

"I got something to say." She starts, looking at her mom on the right, her dad on the left before continuing, "It's _important_."

"What is it, Karin?" Her dad states, glancing pass Karina and exchanged a look at her mother.

"Did you finally agree to take a part of managing our family's company?" Her mother questions and eyes Karina with expectation.

"No, but—" Karina rolls her eyes at their jumped conclusions and places one hand on her hip before announcing Neji's Uncle's dinner host party. At this, both her parents strode over, their facial expressions changing from serious to glee as they started speaking in business tongues.

Karina forces a smile and pulls out her phone, sliding it on before hitting her contacts button; her thumb automatically selects her accomplice's contact information. "Tonight will be a special night… for all of us."

X

"Thank you for coming to my Uncle's company's twenty fifth anniversary promotion." Neji announces at the entryway of his Uncle's mansion, "Please enjoy yourselves; our mixed cuisine is located down the hall and to the left two doors down. If you like to explore the downstairs area, we have an indoor and outdoor pool—"

"Neji," Karina intervenes, stepping in between her parents and Neji, "Don't you have a staff member or someone to do this job for you?"

"Karin!" Karina's mother smoothes over, brushing Karina aside as she takes Neji's hand and shakes it firmly, "I'm sorry Neji san for my daughter's rudeness."

Karina shoots a skeptical glare at her mother before rolling her eyes as her mother starts giggling at Neji's compliment. Karina turns to her dad, only to find him interested in the sculpture rooted on the east wing. Karina stills and parts her lips to sigh. Why did she feel like she was babysitting her parents instead of them acting like adults? She shakes her head and faces her mom and Neji.

"You're too kind for your own good," Her mom laughs sweetly before letting go and cupping Karina's face and bringing it close to hers, and kissing her cheek, "Karin, be good and keep Neji san company. Oh and make sure you don't do anything rash—"

"I know, I know," Karin rolls her eyes at the now overprotective mom that was acting like a foolish teenager a minute ago. "Now go before dad hogs the statue for the rest of the evening instead of you."

After a group of business people came through the door, greeted Neji and went on their way, Neji turns around and chuckles in a teasing tone, "So _Karin_, what's on your menu?"

Karina leans on her left foot, her hip poking out as she places a hand on it before growling under her breath in annoyance, "Don't call me that."

"Why not?" Neji raises a brow at her pouty face, "Isn't that your name or is that what your parent's nicknamed you?"

Karina shrugs, "Karin is my maiden name- but everyone calls me Karina."

"Who started that…?" Neji muttered lowly to himself, before quickly replacing his question with, "So you got used to being called Karina instead?"

Karina huffs and leans back on the door post, "No, I still respond to Karin, but only "special" people can call me Karin."

"Meaning…?"

"Meaning," Karina starts, her mind flashes over a past memory that she wishes she hadn't remember, "Those who are worth my time can call me Karin."

The two stands there quietly, watching the crowds build up within the house. Karina catches Neji's eyes before he quickly looks away, his mouth moving silently on its own. Karina raises a brow, wondering what he was muttering to himself. He stands firmly at the doorway, his eyes cast off in a distant gaze. Before realizing it, Neji catches her staring, "What?"

Karina shrugs and lowers her gaze down to his suit. Black and press, very professional; with silver cufflinks with a black band encircling an X shape, which screams WEALTH. Looking down at her own clothing, Karina recalled her father shaking his head in disapproval as her mother praised her for her fashion sense before leaving their home. She was dressed in a tight shimmering sequin Tulle mini dress, fit for a cocktail party.

"_Who knows, maybe you'll catch the eye of Neji san," Her mother winked at her through her compact mirror, smacking her red lips together, while her father drove to their destination. _

Karina idly reaches a hand and tucks a loose curl behind her ear.

"_Wouldn't it be nice if you were courting Neji San, neh Karin?" Her mother giggles. Her father scowls as Karina whines that no one uses the term 'courting' anymore, "It's dating, Mom."_

"_Well, courting is a more romantic term." Her mother rolled her eyes, "Dating is more of a 'fling' term, neh Hun?"_

_Her father grunts as he drives on._

Now that she thought it, Karina's eyes widen at the notion of her family's happiness and as well as Neji's happiness. So what if she allowed Neji to call her by her maiden name? Would that hint her parents that there's definitely something brewing between them? Well it wouldn't matter after Karina's course of action pans out tonight.

_Way ahead of you, Mom!_ Karina thinks.

"Go ahead," Karina straightens up, shooting a wily grin at Neji's direction. He gives her a confused look before understanding her next words, "I give you permission to call me Karin."

X

The evening slowly turned to night when Neji's Uncle announced to all the companies adjoined in the room, sitting respectively at their tables, with a glass of champagne lifted before them, an appreciative speech readied.

"Thank you all for coming," He bowed, and smiled in satisfaction, "It has been a pleasure to get acquainted with everyone who came by. I enjoyed talking to each and every one of you and hope this gathering has appealed to you all. Please do enjoy the rest of the night with some entertainment from the Doux Pluie Orchestra."

Everyone claps, small chatter proceeding as the orchestra performers bow and take their place before their instruments. Violins strum and the music sweeps fills the dining room as Neji made his way around the back end of the main table, Karina followed heed; her eyes perched on the main man of the night, their plan unfolding in her mind.

"Neji nii san," A quiet voice perked up from further ahead. Karina stops short as she watches the interaction between the relative siblings.

If she recalls correctly, Hinata is the cousin of Neji, and the daughter of Hiashi Hyuga, the same man that's hosting this dinner party. Hinata looks timid as she stands in front of them wearing a soft violet-colored kimono that matched her eyes as she stutters to Neji.

"F-father wants you t-to bring the party to an end with a-a dinner after speech."

_Oh, and an end it shall be, _Karina inwardly thinks as she holds back a killer smirk.

She recalls the conversation she had with Neji an hour ago, when they snuck upstairs and rounded the western corridor to talk privately:

"_Are you sure you're going to go with that?" Neji repeated like the fifth time, making Karina rolls her eyes at his unsure certainty. _

"_Yes, for the millionth time," Karina huffs, and plants a fist on the wall, "Think about it, if you're going to inherit your Uncle's business and marry me, then that would boost my parent's investment even higher, making our company hit the 130__th__ mark."_

"_That's true." _

"_It's perfect!" Karina glares, "Besides, my parents are already ecstatic. If by all means, keep calling me Karin, they'll know right away that something's up between us." Karina let on, her eyes dazzled widely, her imagination piecing together the threads of her and Neji's plan. "My mother practically already loves you!"_

"_Me?" Neji replied, cocking a brow up, "Or my title?"_

_Karina pauses in thought and glances up at Neji, a smirk in place, "Does it matter?"_

_Neji rolls his eyes to the ceiling, and breathes through his nose. "Anyway, why bother waiting? Wouldn't you rather tell your parents now? Boost their 'already ecstatic-ness'?"_

_Karina sucks in air between her lips, making a squelching noise, while Neji leans back on the wall, his attention focused on the roof, rather than at his accomplice, "The impact on my Uncle's face would be priceless if he was the last to know, wouldn't you agree?"_

_Karina chuckles, her voice light in playfulness. "Of course— but its too late now."_

"_I could've announced our "engagement" last night to my parents, but I didn't want to ruin the fun by not letting your Uncle in on it either." Karina went on, facing away from Neji as she stretches her hands out as if she was weighing them both, "I'm doing your Uncle a favor by surprising both him—"_

"_And many people," Neji adds in, before Karina finishes with a, "And my parents."_

_Neji pushes off the wall and reaches forward, both hands placed on Karina's shoulder, twisting her to face him. "I have no doubt your plan will fall out, however, are you sure you won't reconsider your parents first?"_

_Karina shoots Neji a blank look, before sighing loudly, "Neji, if I were you, I wouldn't consider telling your Uncle anything about your love interest— who knows what the man is thinking? He'll probably start arranging you in marriages that you'll be regretting if you even mentioned the word 'love'."_

"_Your analogy is a needle in my side." Neji glared._

_Karina smiles short before reaching a hand towards his face and pats his cheek, "Get used to it, my dear. This girl isn't going anywhere until she finishes what she's started."_

_A sudden rustle catches both Karina and Neji's attention as they heard a stifled gasp and giggles heading their way. Neji, with his quick reflexes, pulls Karina to his chest, his hand sliding down her spine and stopping at the sacrospinalis of her back._

"_Oh!" The intruders gasp aloud, their attention surprised at both accomplices, "So sorry, didn't know anyone was up here."_

"_We got l-Ost," A manly voice spoke up, a hic cup protruding through his lips. They're drunk, Karina notices, considering that both the man and woman are holding champagne glasses in each hand. _

"_No one is allowed up here," Neji announces, pulling his face away from Karina's hair. He— watchful and observant as always— eyes the couple before them as they sputter in surprise at him and Karin. _

"_N-Neji sama, uh, um!" The man tries to search for words, hic cupping as he backs away with his lady, "We're so-O terribly sOrry for intru-Uding!"_

"_We'll take our leave now!" The woman, a bit sober, scatters back the way they came from with the man in tow._

"_Well now," Karina chuckles, leaning into the arms of Neji, "That was interesting."_

"_Oh, indeed." Neji narrows his eyes down at Karina, "But this is how rumors begin itself." _

"_What a peach, more rumors the better!" Karina whispers, her neck tilted back, "Am I right?"_

"_Rumors fly, I'll let you know." He begins, rooting himself to the ground, his other hand flies to her chin, tracing her jaw line, "And my Uncle is always the first to know."_

"_Well then," Karina steps back, breaking away from Neji's hold, "Let's make it even more interesting."_

Karina blinks, coming back to reality. At the same time, Neji sends Hinata off and turns to her, "Let's go."

_And what a perfect timing too!_

X

Clinks of champagne and a river of laughter and giggles were heard amongst the guests while Karin hung back, and Neji wormed his way toward the head of the table where his Uncle sat, surrounded by his seated rivals on the left and his two daughters on the right.

"Uncle," Neji stoops to his Uncle's ear, "Hinata san told me you wanted to see me?"

Hiashi takes a sip from his flute and turns his head forty five degrees towards Neji, "Your lateness is unusual, but I will forgive you this time."

Neji rolls his eyes before nodding his head in small gratitude.

"Now listen Neji," Hiashi began, his eyes traveling over his guests joyful faces— probably making fun of how stupid they looked in his head, Neji guessed as his Uncle explained how important this promotion was, "These people are our consumers, if we play the cards right, my company's promotion will succeed efficiently!"

Neji nods in sweet boredom, although he doesn't show it.

"Oh and Neji," Hiashi adds in, his finger circling the rim of his flute, making music, "About that small matter we talked about last night," Neji glances at reflection of his Uncle's eyes off the flute as it grew darker for a second, "_Make it worth my time._"

Hiashi places down his flute and clears his throat. Putting both hands flat on the table, he gets up from his chair and spread his arms out wide, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to see and talk to many of you. I thank you once again for attending this promotion. I would like for you to please cast your attention to my nephew. He has been working beside me to achieve the position as CEO of Hyuga La Bête in France. He has proven to me tonight that he is right for the job." Hiashi turns his attention to Neji, giving him a prideful nod and turns back to his guests, "Please give your warmest welcome to the present CEO of Hyuga La Bête."

Loud applause starts from the back and roams its way to the front while Neji makes his way towards the small stage of orchestra performers. Standing aloof, he breathes through his nose before looking up, giving the room a sweep before proceeding with his speech.

He starts off with a short biography of himself, of how his Uncle took him in and raised him as one of his own. Then he alters into the story of how he got interested in his Uncle's company, adding a bit of scenarios that cracked up his audience. He shifts his footing, and places one hand in his pants pocket and the other lifted in a hand shake gesture. As Neji nears the end of his speech, he looks over each of his guests' faces and rests on one particular person. Looking bored but amused, Karina had her chin rested on the palm of her hand, a small smile tugging on the corners of her lips.

At that same moment, Karina looks up at him and they lock eyes for a minute with his mouth running off and Karina getting up slowly. She takes a hold of two champagne glasses before walking around the rounds of tables, until she found herself on the aisle walking towards Neji.

Stopping beside him, Karina passes the glass to Neji as he takes it, turns and raises it toward the crowd and his Uncle, "To my Uncle who has a promising future ahead of him."

"Not for long." Karina sings along but her words were swallowed amongst the loud cheers directed at Hiashi, and the only person who heard was Neji.

"_Hey, hey," Karina whispers to Neji as he walks around most of the tables, leading to the main table, "What do you think of me blurting our engagement like a crazy fanatic bride?"_

_Neji pauses in step, glancing back at her with a zealous look, "Crazy, yes; blurting our engagement, not so professional."_

"_Boring!" Karina sang, as they continued on foot, "I'm going to do it. It'll look more believable."_

"_Don't. I swear if you—" Neji muttered, but as he turned to give his companion a warning glare, she had already disappeared. Oh no, Neji thinks, she better not...I hope._

"Also, before I end this night with a toast," Neji sees his Uncle stand from his chair, a satisfied grin pasted on his face as he starts walking towards them. "I like to announce a proposal."

Hiashi pauses in step, taking another champagne flute from a waiter before strolling towards his nephew and female companion. Neji turns and locks eyes with him, a serious expression revealed on his face as he tears away. Feeling like something wasn't right; Hiashi observes how Neji then turns a forty five degree angle from the audience and his female companion before taking her hand in his.

"My dear companion, Karin and I have come to terms," Neji speaks with a tender tone; glancing back at Karina, her face dimmed a soft glow. "That in business and family, we—"

"WE'RE ENGAGED!?" Karina shouts in glee, sliding her hands around Neji's arm and leaning into him.

A loud noise of glass crashed to the floor and at that very moment, the room erupted in surprised gasps, cheers, and applause. As for Hiashi, both accomplices took in the ghastly, darkened, yet pale face of their victim.

As tensed and humiliated as Hiashi felt, he couldn't explode in front of his guests, because that wouldn't be the Hyuga way. He hadn't expected this sudden proposal, especially to some girl who happened to swindle his nephew into marriage!

As for Karina, she imagined she could see his soul slipping through his lips. With a sweet smile, Karina parts from Neji and instead, jumps forward, giving Hiashi a good, ol' bear hug, "UNCLE!"

"Can this get any worse?"Hiashi mutters silently under his breath.

_Oh, it's just beginning, _Karina thinks.

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A/N: Hey guys! I know it's been awhile and I said I'd try to work around my schedule to post more chapters this summer. But it didn't work out as I'd planned, because as much as I had time, it was all dedicated to studying and taking online exams every week. But I just finished classes last week and have two more weeks of summer vacation before fall starts. Not only do I have to make up for late chapter posting, I have a couple of stories that I've put on hiatus (my readers are begging), so I hope you enjoyed this chapter, at least.


	21. Chapter 21

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

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A/N: Happy Belated Valentine's Day! I did plan on posting this chapter as a surprise for you all…yet, that didn't happen. Now I know you're tired of hearing my excuses for not writing for 6 months prior to my latest chapter 20, but I'll have pretty much summed these reasons for you—or if you just want to skip this note, go on ahead and read.

Reason 1 – College, third year, full-time student (let's not forget the many nights working on those 10+ pages of essays to write)

Reason 2 – I borrowed a book (Insurgent by Veronica Roth) from my friend 8 months ago and I have yet to read it! (That's how busy I am….not lazy…busy!)

Reason 3 – I'm attending 2 colleges at the moment (in class and online).

Reason 4 – So I'm taking this online class for BioII and the lab sucks bad (because not only did our professor not require us a book, we have to try out this new e-book site that contains our assignments/ testing and will determine our poor grades even though it takes me practically a whole day just to complete **one** assignment).

Reason 5 – They say if you have writers block, keep writing to make up lost time or until you gain some sort of inspiration OR just take a breather, watch a 10-minute show, eat something, rest your mind, dream, etc. (Sitting at my desk, fingers on the keypad….I'm thinking…I got nothing…)

Reason 6 – A few days ago— I FINALLY GOT IT! An idea to transition into the story of Mysterious Found… (Plus, it would be so caring of me to post it for VDAY as a surprise to my readers!) Yeaaahhh, or so I thought…when did time play again?

Reason 7 – It's **not** laziness if Facebook, YouTube (dramas, tv shows, anime), games on your phone OR Books (e-books, manga, comics), the library, internet, and music has gotten boring for your taste…raise your hands if you been there…

So I pretty much just rambled and I know this is belated, but I do have a small surprise for whoever read my reasons without skipping to the story. Now when you review, be honest and tell me you read my reasons and write "You're forgiven" (ha-ha, just kidding— but if you do, I hope you stay true to your words) and I will dedicate an upcoming chapter to you (how's that for a motivation? Ha!)

P.S. – I just wanted to ask….why are you still reading this PS when you could be reading this awesome possum story? Go on!

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Sakura's POV

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"Ms. Haruno?" Announced a strict voice from within the office where Sakura was patiently sitting outside waiting to be called in for her job interview.

Nervously, Sakura got up and strolled over to the door left ajar from the previous frantic applicant. Entering, Sakura sucked in her breath at the sight of the small decorated green room. On either side of the entryway sat two mahogany oriental bookcases displaying vases, bowls and figurines of abstract art, and classic books. Two short, grand Tuscan accent chairs faced the P-shaped desk with a wide screen computer reflecting the room she was in, and where the manager she was supposed to be interviewing with was nowhere to be seen.

Confused, Sakura swore she heard her name being called on.

"Well, sit down." The same strict voice demanded. Startled, Sakura looked around the empty room as she hesitantly did as she was told.

"Curious, are you? Not many people are, seeing as the previous applicant ran out this room the moment he stepped in it." The woman's voice lighten in a sick amusement. Sakura raised a brow, trying to remember the panic in the eyes of the young man that wished her luck. She was about to question what he meant, however being called on, the man bolted for the exit and Sakura was left to dwell in his words. "So, you're Haruno Sakura, mm?" Came a static screech from the speakers on the desktop.

Sakura jumped.

"Yes ma'am. Er," Sakura began, not really sure who she was talking to. "May I ask…where— who I am speaking to?"

"Shiho." The woman's voice clarified as she stepped into the screen, revealing herself in front of Sakura. Light blonde hair tied in a loose ponytail over one shoulder, Shiho was dressed in a loose maroon blouse and a pencil skirt. But what caught Sakura off guard was Shiho's glasses that displayed a swirl-tinted lens instead of her eyes. Sakura bit her bottom lip wondering if she was being tested on appearances or something other. She wasn't too sure. "Is there something on my face?"

Sakura blinks, snapping out of her thoughts and shakes her head as she peers at Shiho curious to know why they were communicating through a screen instead of face-to-face like normal interviews go. As if reading her mind, Shiho answered, "Normal is so overrated; don't you think, Ms. Haruno?"

Sakura pursed her lips before giving a sort of yes-no-maybe-so shrug in response.

"Well, give or take, my boss—being as lackadaisical than a sloth—he would hire just about anyone on the spot." Sakura raised a brow at Shiho's behavior towards her boss. Gosh, why couldn't her boss be the one to interview her instead? "However, I thought, wouldn't it be _fun_ if I tried a little experiment and see just how good those applicants are, that is, stated from their résumé application?"

Should she being telling this to her? Sakura wondered. Shrugging Shiho's strange formality, she began answering Shiho's questions that wasn't anything closely related to what was on her résumé.

"Now, for some one-on-one questions." Shiho began, shuffling some papers on her desk and looked down at it before popping the question that many people have asked Sakura. "Is your hair color natural or dyed? Because we have a code conduct here and won't allow any funny business ruining our professional reputation."

"It's natural, ma'am."

"Are you sure?" Shiho narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Sakura as Sakura inwardly rolled her eyes, feeling insulted. "How do I know if you're trying to fool me or not?"

Sakura squinted her eyes at the woman in the screen. What, does she want me to show her? Sakura scoffed inwardly. "I assure you, I'm pink inside and out. Up here," She points at her head, then below her waist, "And down there, too."

"Well, you didn't hesitate for a moment, so… I believe you." Shiho adjusted her glasses before continuing. "Do you have any experience in decoding?"

"You mean, like, hacking?"

"In technically terms, yes. For good purposes, only though." Shiho added quickly at the end of her sentence.

She's good reading people and lying between her teeth, Sakura thinks suggestively, she's done it for those remaining years with Sai before she found out that she was just as fooled as she thought he was. "Er, no."

She can tell if someone was keeping something from her; remembering all those times her ex would ignore her calls or make excuses from going on dates. Of course, she wasn't the type of girlfriend to search his phone or demand answers, but she felt something was off. She knew… "Not exactly," She drawled on. She wasn't exactly telling the truth but it felt like she could unwind a person just from being around that person from time to time or a long period of time. _Sasuke. _

Now, Sasuke on the other hand, _for some reason_, she thought and remembered her first morning with him. She was drunk and had told him everything that happened to her that night she was stood up by her then deceased ex-boyfriend. But ever since Sai's burial ceremony, Sakura has been easing up to Sasuke. Sasuke had given her a new home, a friend to confide in, and people who seemed to care more for her—or, so confessed Naruto:

"_I like you Sakura," Naruto walked alongside Sakura, giving her a downcast look of longing. "You're different from most girls I've befriended. You're like a breath of fresh air in this danky city I call home." He laughed._

_Sakura laughed, feeling like she was in some cheesy movie. Smiling at Naruto, she replied with a platonic tone, "Thanks Naruto, I like you too." However, she didn't realize her words became more than just friendly with Naruto. _

"—no? Ms. Haruno?" Shiho called, finally snapping Sakura from her reverie. Sakura apologized as Shiho explained that their interview was nearing an end. "Please answer this for me, what did you think of this interview?"

"It was…" Sakura began, pausing only to think of the right words that would possibly impress Shiho, except leave her with an honest opinion, "Truly a change of perspective. I didn't expect to be speaking to you virtually although…" _Now that I think about it, _Sakura realizes something. "For an experiment like this one, not only did you not cover over my résumé__but you asked me some personal questions that was relatively exclusive. I have to say, you can really make a person talk nonsense just by sidetracking them with questions. Although I'm not a hacker, one thing for sure is, I figured you out. You made me talk and you gathered as much information just by observing my appearance, my attitude and behavior, and it wasn't just from me talking." _I bet she didn't even care or listened to half of what she asked me, _Sakura thinks to herself, quirking a brow at Shiho.

Shiho stood there from her desk, giving Sakura a once-over before inhaling a breath and letting it out with a huff. Shaking her head, she threw down the papers on her desk and surrendered her arms outwards, "I may have underestimated you, Ms. Haruno."

Ha! She knew it, Sakura smirks unconsciously.

"However, you just given me the answer to our job description qualifications." Shiho sits on the edge of her desk and looks straight into Sakura's eyes. Sakura's pride drops a little at her next words, "For starters, I really did find you intriguing. Sadly to say, I am lost on time. This interview has come to an end. Thank you for coming; have a safe trip going home. I hear we'll be having high winds and a thunderstorm tonight."

"Oh," As soon as Sakura purses her lips to reply, the computer screen shuts off. Sakura blinks a couple times before awkwardly replying to a black screen in an empty room, "Uh, thanks."

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A/N: Okay, I'm going to give this chapter a week seeing how busy I'll be—and it's snowing—anyway, I'm thinking this chapter will be up within the timeframe of my birthday which happens to be this Sunday. [Today, because I didn't finish it until a few hours ago.]

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_Well, that was a bust._ Sakura sulked, trudging to the bus station. Taking out her pocket money, she counted and noticed she was a dollar short from riding the bus home. _Home. _It's been four straight weeks since Sasuke asked her to move in with him. It still felt strange to her for living under a roof with a man; a man that almost ran her over from their first meeting. Sighing, Sakura shoved the money back into her pocket and sat on the waiting bench.

Slumping over, Sakura remained quiet and basked in the sunny breeze. What a beautiful day and to think tonight would be terrible, she thought, remembering Shiho's last words. Sakura sighs, not wanting to think of the many failures her job search has brought her. She didn't understand why she couldn't at least land a job in this big city. Oh come on, it's a city for crying out loud! She groans aloud. _There's bound to be at least one business ready enough to hire her!_

As promised in the rules of rooming in with Sasuke, she made sure she left a note every day telling Sasuke where she was going— _**Sasuke, I'm taking a cab to explore the city. Maybe I'll find a place I can surprise you! I'll be back this evening. Catch ya later, Sakura.**_However, being a high-up lawyer and knowing his city limits, Sasuke wasn't too keen on letting a girl go out on her own especially if she went to the wrong side of the urban boundary. He remembered that time when he caught her cold and she ran out on him to the dumps of the city; he was looking everywhere for her until he found her and brought her back to his place. That day, he skipped work as a "prior emergency" to go find her whereabouts.

Sakura giggled at the memory and shook her head, never wanting him to relive that moment when she found him running to her when she stepped out of her cab, panting and glaring at her with a signal that she was in trouble. She understood that she didn't really give him an actual reason of her departure that day and knew he was worried for her sake. Not wanting to be a burden to him, Sakura wanted to do something to help Sasuke out, like get a job and pay half of her stay with him.

She had gone through fifteen interviews since then, and all of them have given her each an excuse, or would give her a call if there was still any other openings. However, to her disappointment, she hadn't received any calls since then. She didn't think looking for a job was this hard. Apparently, she was wrong.

"What do I have to do to get a job around here?" Sakura whined to herself, lifting her head and spotting what seemed to be a green ad taped to the sidewalk light pole.

Sakura got up and walked her way to the pole before looking at the ad. **Lov'N Deeds Pub. Needed: Bartender and dancer; hands-on; you'll get paid handsomely. Call xxx-xxx-xx38. **

Squinting, a faint reminder popped into her mind which she recalled talking to Naruto on the phone two weeks ago:

"_Sakura, you do not want to work at a club, bar or pub. Trust me," Naruto insisted, talking earnestly into the phone, "You wouldn't be right for any position offered."_

"_Are you saying I'm incapable of working?" Sakura gasps in offense, glaring at her phone screen before pulling it back to her ear, "I'll let you know, I'm better than that!"_

"_Exactly. Look Sak, this city is known for its flashing lights and parties. I just don't think it'd be a good idea for a city noob to get—"_

"_I'm not a city noob!"_

"_Having a job in either three is dangerous stuff. I know because I've worked as a bouncer almost my whole 3 years of college." Naruto reasons, his tone dropping lower._

"_Wow, three years." Sakura says, rolling her eyes, "Before you dropped out."_

"_Sakura," Naruto's voice gone serious, "Promise me you won't get a job in either three."_

_Not unless they want me, Sakura thought, plus she needed the money. Huffing, Sakura exhales into the receiver, "I'm not making any promises, Naruto. But…if all goes well with my other interviews, then there won't be a second I would be thinking of that desperate opportunity waving at me with flashing lights and tempting drinks calling out my name—"_

"_Sakura!" _

"_Okay, okay! I'm just saying, sheesh." Sakura rolls her eyes at how abnormally serious Naruto was being. __**So overprotected, I swear. **_

_Which comes to a thought that maybe Naruto was saying this for her own good or maybe, for his own good. Getting to know Naruto, he seemed to always bug the hell out of his best friend and yet never really tip Sasuke over the edge, whereas, if he did, Sakura felt that Naruto would run for his dear life. _

Ripping one of the paper tabs with the name and address, Sakura mindlessly ignored Naruto's advice and went on her way to find the pub. She thought of the consequences, wondering what Naruto's wrath was like; it can't be that worst as what she had imagined Sasuke's. Oh well, she'll deal with it when the time comes. She felt bad for seeming like a freeloader and didn't want to burden Sasuke, so why shouldn't she help him out by easing his worries and getting herself a job…starting with this one.

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Hinata's POV

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"I cannot believe this!" Hiashi growled into the phone, a crash of glass hitting the wall. Even though she wasn't facing her father personally, Hinata jumped at the glass shattering noise and of her father's angered words. "To think I'm being blackmailed by a measly love-sick teenager!"

She remembered clearly of the announcement of her cousin Neji's engagement to Karina. She could care less to the happenings between her father and her cousin that involved the redhead woman, however she couldn't bypass Neji's unusual behavior about the said woman. What was he doing with that fox? Last she heard, Karina went to visit her rumored boyfriend overseas, and plus, Neji wasn't interested in stuck-up women who worm their way into profited businesses and tear them down from the inside. Is that what Karina was doing? For one, she hoped Neji knew what he was getting into.

"Hinata!" Her father snapped in her ear, bringing Hinata back to earth.

"Yes, father?"

"You will take Neji's place as CEO of Hyuga La Bête—temporary, that is—until that boy gets his head screwed back in place." Hiashi explained, a shuffling of papers could be heard on the receiving end. "This is strict business, understand? I will not tolerate any shenanigans or distractions that will sabotage all the hard work I put into this corporation."

What, her, as CEO of Hyuga La Bête? She couldn't really take this title that Neji has worked so hard to earn. Five years and four months counting, Neji was just promoted two nights ago prior to occasion. _Temporary,_ her ass! Hinata exhaled an overwhelming sigh and closed her eyes.

"Put aside your studies," Hiashi continued, deflating Hinata's objections as his tone got serious, "As a business partner, you'll be taking up new training and learning the ropes from under me. You **will** fill in spots for meetings I cannot attend to, on short notice. You **will** learn how to make decisions best for the company and not from your heart. Remember Hinata, a heart is _just_ an organ, there is _no_ meaning to love—which reminds me, no distractions means no boys either. I will **not** allow you to talk to that fox who has been secretly meeting with you now and then."

Hinata's throat closed as she choked inhaling a breath. _Naruto! _How did he know about Naruto's unexpected visits? Must have been that time he brought Sakura over for a tour of their hometown and those guards that made a huge fuss about the so-called "intruders". Blinking and breathing slowly again, Hinata hinted to her father with small yeses to let him know she was still there—yet, wasn't fully listening. How could he do this to her? He knew how close she was to completing her masters in psychology and now she's replacing a five-year position Neji has strove for and she has no clue where to start. Sure, she had filled spots for her father's absence in important business meetings, but she didn't have to speak, just sit-in and write down specific pointers and report it back to Hiashi.

Anxious, Hinata heard Hiashi hang up with a click before she dropped her hand holding her phone. She couldn't believe it— her career was on hold, she's been promoted as CEO in 48 hours and she can't even stand up for her beliefs because her father has controlled her life a puppet almost her whole life. But the truth is, she's scared to go against her father's commands because he's the only family she has besides her sister and she couldn't leave her sister especially with her disability. She vowed after Neji took her place as Hyuga's heir for her sake to attend college that she would protect Hanabi from entering the messed up world her father lived in. "Reign in power," Hinata whispered, her eyes tearing up as she knelt to the floor and looked at her phone's light dimming from usage. "How was father ever loved when he's lost in a world filled with power and money?"

"_This world is basically a hierarchy Hinata; you got the top Ace that can live as freely and the low- poverty who struggle to survive. This world isn't kind and from the bottom, I worked my way to the top so that I can provide for my family. You do understand, don't you?" _She remembered her father once said when she four. _"For our clan's pride and ambition, we continue to strive forward. We must not let ourselves be pulled back by unnecessary obstacles—even if that obstacle is called love."_

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Sasuke's POV

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"Heading out?" He heard a silky voice enter his ears as he walked out of the elevator to his work building. Turning his head, he spotted a woman in a beige corset with a mini black pencil skirt, carrying a coach handbag in one hand and a bunch of folders under the opposite arm.

He rose a brow at her business attire and asked, curiously, "Do I know you?"

"You can call me Mei. I'm working in the Criminal Defense Law Firm down on Second Street." The woman sultrily strutted to him, her red hair bouncing from her shoulders onto her chest that called out "look-at-these-babies". Smirking, she stopped in front him, not too closely to inhale in his cologne but enough to match his gaze and flung her hand out, "It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Uchiha. Or, can I call you Sasuke?"

Taking her hand in a firm shake, he was surprised she held her own professionally, "Please."

"I'm here to talk business with you concerning your recent case about your…female companion." Mei began, her eyes flickering around in case anyone was eavesdropping on them. Many of the employees have in the previous years that he had to let them go after considering their trust in confidentiality within the building. However, the trusts he developed with his company wasn't enough that he couldn't tolerate rumors that twisted from words exchanged from one firm to another. "Do you have time to spare?"

Wanting to decline and go home and rest his tired body, after all he hadn't had much sleep for the past three weeks working on Sakura's case with the pervert on the train. He presented the evidence and talked remotely to the judge and jury about the said case getting out of hand. After getting the said approval, detectives went to work on undercover searching the train for perverts and the police did their part on questioning said witnesses or having interrogated past perverts for any hangout spots other perverts would be at. He hadn't heard anything new since then as of now.

Sasuke glimpsed at his watch that read ten after six. Pressing his lips together, he wondered what Sakura could be doing right about now but didn't spend longer than a few seconds before deciding that taking a few minutes, maybe an hour before heading home wouldn't hurt since this was strictly business which involved Sakura. Sasuke then waved his hand to the doors exiting the entrance to the building, "After you."

Turning on her heel, Mei cat walked to the doors with Sasuke in tow and signaled a cab that drove in cue. Sasuke felt his eye lid twitch in bewilderment, seeing how dress up Mei was and instead, rides a dreary cab. A small chuckle snaps him from his observation.

"Where to?"

"Anywhere." He closed the door behind them as Mei gave the cab driver an address and they went on their way.

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Sakura's POV

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She was really cutting it close with the time Sasuke usually gets home around seven. It was a quarter after six and she had just arrived at the said ad's address. Looking at the big flashy sign, Lov'N Deeds Pub, Sakura took a breath of nervousness and released it before opening the entry doors and stepping in.

Mellow music was strung on a small stage, and several people littered the tables within the pub. The bar was shaped as an S, long and the counter was smooth as marble with beer taps, glass shots, menus and stools. The lights within the room were dimmed low with purple laser beams. "Classy," Sakura muttered to herself before turning her attention to the bar tender who was eyeing her with suspicion.

"May I help you?"

Holding up the green ad, Sakura walked to the bar counter and leaned against it, "I'm looking for a job."

"I can see that," Said the girl behind the counter, her blond hair pulled into four pony tails. She wore a punk-like gothic black tee shirt with rips in the front showing off her rack. She wore an apron around her waist and held a pitcher of what seemed to be beer in it as she refilled a shot glass. Then to Sakura's surprise and amazement, the bartender hollered the order and swung the drink down the counter as it slid into the customer's hands.

Impressive, Sakura thought as she watched the said woman take the money and cashed it into the register. "So, what are you applying for? We have two slots open."

Right, there was dancing listed—which Sakura opted knowing she wasn't as good a dancer as from when she danced with Sasuke. The other was bartending which Sakura had no experience in whatsoever but heck, she was desperate; she was willing to try anything, learn anything, and master anything if only she could land a job. "Bartender."

"Ah," The said woman nodded, pulling a dish towel out from under the counter and started wiping the residue liquor that splashed from the previous slip-and-slide. "Any experience in mixing liquor?"

"No, but I'm willing to learn." Sakura blurted before she can take it back. Speaking quickly, she covered, "I'm a quick learner!"

"Oh, desperate, are you?" The woman wrenched the towel in a bucket, "We get a lot of those."

Sakura sighs, cursing her mistake and having a bad feeling that this would turn out to be another rejection. "Hm, well, our staff is on the low right now but it gets pretty busy around here after dark." The blond throws the dish towel onto the bucket's edge before replying, "How about dancing? Can you dance?"

Looking behind her at the stage, Sakura realized something she hasn't noticed before. Off to the sides of the center stage is another circular stage with each a single pole stood. Blinking, Sakura asked what sort of dancing was required.

"Any sensual dance you can offer." The woman shrugged behind her, "Ranging from pole dance, lap dance, table dance, grinding, twerking, et cetera."

"So…basically, dirty dancing?"

"The art of sensual activity," The woman continued, "is what our customers come for. To have a good time; and in exchange for their extra change, they get entertainment and our business flourishes."

_In other words, their business profits from this sort of act, _Sakura thinks, narrowing her eyes at the hidden meaning. "No kidding."

"So, have you come to a decision?" The blond asks, leaning into the counter and raising a brow at Sakura.

Does she even have a choice? A yes to her rhetorical question however Sakura opted to ignore and chose what little chance of having an actual job.

"Plus, dancers get extra tips on special nights."

"You don't say," Sakura mumbled to herself rather to the woman's tempting bribery. From how she saw it, they were in desperate need of more staff and she was desperate in need for a job. There's may be a win-win in this situation if she took the job. But dirty dancing? Can Sakura really stoop that low for money? Sakura pressed her lips together, recalling the moral dignity she was raised as and decided, "What the heck, dancer I'll be."

_I mean_, she thought to herself, _how hard can dirty dancing be?_

"Great, I'll let the manager know." The blond rounded the counter and pointed to the back door with her thumb as she started walking that way, "Oh, and you can call me Temari."

And at that same time she said her name, a surprise, yet familiar voice spoke up and called her name, "Sakura?"

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A/N: Yes, cliff-hanger because I'm that evil (mwahahaha). But, you're welcome and I should be getting some sleep now since today is a special day! :) Anyway, thanks for reading and don't forget to review!


	22. Chapter 22

Mysterious Found

By: Unknownred ©

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Exclusive: This chapter is dedicated to LilyVampire for being an avid reader and reviewer. Thank you for sticking with Mysterious Found even through my absence.

P.S. – Sorry for the uber-late posting. After my birthday came spring break then midterm (I know— talk about timing…no worries, I made this chapter itsy bit longer to make up those 2-3 weeks since I last updated!)

((A/N: Mai - So close with your bet, but I just can't let my readers get the best of me!))

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Sakura's POV

"Sakura?"

Sakura whirled around and gaped, wide-eyed, "Naruto?!" What was he doing here? Did he follow her because he didn't trust her? _Well, he caught her alright_, she thought sadly.

Surprised as she was, Naruto's sea blue eyes roamed the pub, searching for the man who would kill him if he knew Sakura was here of all places. When he didn't find who he was looking for—to his satisfaction— he turned his attention back to Sakura's and wondered, _then… _"What are you doing here?"

The pinkette narrowed her apple green eyes, "I should be asking you the same thing!"

_Oh, if Sasuke knew_, they both thought, _hell would break loose!_

"Sakura, answer the question. What are you doing here?" Naruto grounded, glaring at her for dodging the question. Did she go against his judgment and advice, and gotten a job here? No, he couldn't jump to conclusions…yet. "Well?"

Her stubbornness flared bright with her bloated cheeks as she huffed and crossed her arms. "I was just passing by and saw this place. I've never been in a pub before and was curious to find out."

"Never? Well, damn." Naruto muttered then grinned teasingly at her, "How old are you again?"

"Shut up," Sakura glared, "Your turn. What are you doing here, Na-ru-to?" She poked his chest in emphasis to his name.

"I came to meet a close colleague of mine." Naruto stated, flicking his eyes to a movement behind Sakura before focusing back to hers. "I've a favor to return."

Colleague? Sakura questioned to herself. Is it a woman? She couldn't imagine anyone except Hinata who would meet up with Naruto on a Tuesday night at a pub. But then, when has she? Ever since she told Sasuke that she could play match maker with Hinata and Naruto, Naruto has been glued to her side and Hinata has been avoiding them at all costs. Well, maybe she wasn't avoiding exactly—Sakura just hasn't seen Hinata around whenever she's with Naruto—and to think, the two childhood friends were close, they'd bump into each other. But, there had been no sign of Hinata's whereabouts or presence for four weeks. Could it be a male acquaintance? Sakura blinked, it couldn't have been Sasuke or else they would have met each other anytime or place other than this pub.

Snapping to, Sakura pulled away her coarse thoughts and averted her awareness back to Naruto who was still talking animatedly about who knows what. Sakura nodded absently as his words entered one ear and out the other. She could care less to what he was saying until her mind registered 'favor'. What favor could he be returning? Could this favor be secretly objective to her? What if Naruto told his 'colleague' about her and wanted to keep an eye on her. Maybe his colleague called Naruto here for feedback because he was spying on her. Or maybe, she's just coming up with excuses because Naruto caught her offhandedly in a pub and she's suspicious of Naruto—like he is of her.

Or… maybe Naruto's actually telling the truth. She wouldn't know, she decided to wait with him until he met up with his acquaintance.

"Well," Naruto paused, bringing Sakura back to earth, "that doesn't explain why you're here alone. Did you tell your roommate where you'll be?"

Forgetting for a moment about her white lie to Naruto, Sakura felt her stomach do a flip. Careful not to look anxious, she gave Naruto a meek hum in the back of her throat as she recalled the time Naruto started becoming suspicious of her secret lifestyle.

_It was half past seven and the sky was purple turning night. Sitting on a bench, chatting away was Naruto and Sakura. It was then when Sakura felt the first raindrop hit her cheek that she remembered her curfew. She could return no later than midnight, however, she didn't want to worry Sasuke on her whereabouts. Besides, being alone in an empty house does wonders to a person. Scratching her chin, she glimpsed towards the empty community park, "It's getting late; I should go." _

"_Eh? Already?" Naruto whined in disappointment, looking over the at the park's clock post in the drizzled rain. "It's not even that late yet."_

"_Yet." Sakura noted aloud, giggling at Naruto's pouty face as he stood up with her. _

"_Well, I understand if you're getting tired." _

_Sakura feigned a tiny yawn and shot Naruto a smile in gratitude, "A little. It's been a long day, but a good one. _

_At this, Naruto smiled a toothy grin before extending a hand towards her, "I can walk you home. Nothing is ever good after dark."_

"_Good to know," Sakura swung her purse strap over her shoulder, lightly avoiding his outstretched hand and skipped away from him. The sound of rain started gaining volume as Naruto caught up with Sakura and grabbed her hand. Aware of his warm hand around hers, Sakura felt water mat her hair as she looked over at the blonde and said, "Maybe another time. I'm really tight on schedule, I got to go."_

"_Wait," Naruto tugged Sakura to a stop and turned her around to face him, "Towns back this way." He jerked a thumb behind him. Slightly confused at his comment, he continued without pause, "You're going in the wrong direction."_

_Thankful for the drumming sounds of the rain pounding the ground, Sakura blinked away water drops from her eye lids and brushed passed Naruto heading the direction he was pointing, "Thanks Naruto. I…uh, forgot my sense of direction for a second."_

"_Must have been," Naruto smirks, flexing his arms out, and kissed his muscles, "these babies."_

_Sakura rolled her eyes at his childishness and letting out a har-har laugh, "Too much of it, in fact." Walking backwards, Sakura shot him another grin and pulled a lock of hair stuck from her face to the back of her ear before turning around so she wouldn't trip and make a fool out of herself. _

_As she walked, she thought of her day hanging out with Naruto and how fun it was to actually be with him. Yeah, she could tell he was being more strongly towards her, despite their growing friendship, but she couldn't really see herself with Naruto, like she could with Sasuke. How awkward would it be if something were to happen between her and Naruto and then he finds out that she's actually rooming with Sasuke in the same house, their bedrooms two doors apart? Or vice versa, if she was dating Sasuke and Naruto finds out that all his efforts has gone to waste because she didn't have the guts to tell him how she really felt or to straighten their friendship out before it breaks apart. Yeah, what a great friend she'd be if those scenarios were to happen. _

_Sakura bit her lip as she stepped on the edge of the curve and jerked her thumb out for a taxi. She couldn't hurt the blond, no more than she already has but if he knew then it'd be just as awkward between her, Naruto and Sasuke. …Wouldn't it? _

"_Sakura!" The familiar voice called out to her from behind. Turning around, Sakura gasps at the close proximity Naruto was standing to her and takes a step back. Only to find herself falling backwards from the slippery edge and Naruto's arms shooting around her waist. "You okay?"_

_The rain was getting stronger now, their clothes sticking to their bodies and Sakura couldn't help but remember a scene from a movie pop into her mind. To her disappointment, she was with the wrong guy but Naruto must have thought differently about her because by the time she looked up, his lidded eyes were dark and his lips were closing in on hers. _

_Suddenly, lights blinded the two as a car drives up to them and a honk blared out from the car. Quickly but thankfully, Sakura slips away from Naruto's grasps and sees that the car was in fact a taxi that has saved her from a permanent disaster. Opening the door, she turns back towards Naruto, "Naruto, I— I…"_

"_Sorry, I slipped catching you." Naruto says meekly, brushing his hand through his wet hair. Sakura stares at Naruto wondering if he was afraid of her rejecting him when the taxi man calls out impatiently. Blinking, she shakes her head and smiles at him, "No, it was my fault. I'm sorry."_

_She hoped Naruto got the message from her words—not from the falling and avoiding his kiss incident—but because of her indecisiveness to be honest with him. _

"_Before I go, there's something," Sakura began but was pushed gently into the car by the blond. "Go now before you get sick." _

"_She's ready," He gave details of her home address to the cab driver who raised his hands in hallelujah before waiting for Naruto to close the door so he can drive her to her destination. _

"_Wha—Naruto!" Sakura squirmed in her seat as he reached over her and buckled her in, "I have to tell you something!"_

"_Text it to me. It's late," Naruto moved back, his hand on the car door ready to close. "I don't want you to get sick or in trouble because of me holding you back."_

_He was holding her back? New questions of absurdity raced in her head. "No, wait, listen!" He closed the door on her; her words blocked by the window. Sakura reached for the window scroll as she watched Naruto back away, at the same time the cab started driving forward. "Naruto, you jerk!" Her voice was drowned out from the pounding of tiny needles hitting the ground as Naruto disappeared in the rain and Sakura was driven away._

_On her drive back to her hometown, Sakura took her phone out and glared at the lit screen, the time donning a quarter 'til nine. She exhaled heavily wondering if Sasuke was at home already from his job. She knew he was working extra late during the past week on a few cases deemed important. But who was she complaining to? Being a lawyer is a serious occupation—after all that schooling and drilling efforts— it was like, what, second to having a doctor's degree? Sakura flipped her phone shut and dropped it in her purse. She closed her eyes and listened to the drumming of the car roof. Soothing as the rain sounded when she's down, Sakura couldn't ignore the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach. _

_After she was dropped off in front of her house gate, Sakura was surprised to see someone she wasn't expecting to see appear, sitting on her porch._

"_Sasuke?" Sakura wiped the wet streaks from her cheeks as she stopped at the foot of the steps. "What are you doing here?"_

"_Business." He spoke, giving her drenched form an once-over. He stood up and pulled an umbrella from behind him and pushed it open. He walked towards her and brought the umbrella over her head, "Met with a client."_

"_No, I mean…" Sakura lets out, her bottom lip trembling, "What are you doing at my house, on my porch?"_

_He stood there under the protection of the rain, staring down at her tear stained face. Wet strands of pink locks matted the sides of her face and she couldn't stop shivering. She could feel his eyes focus intently on her; if she looked at him then, she didn't know if she could look away. Exhaling, Sakura watched her breath form an icy cloud. _

"_Firstly, we should go inside and warm up." Sasuke suggested, shifting to her side and placed his cold hand—Sakura noted—onto her lower back, pushing her gently up the porch steps and followed behind. "Come on."_

_She was on her fourth step when she realized something important. Stopping, Sakura swirled around, startling the young gentleman and locked eyes with his charcoal ones. "Sasuke," She began slowly, watching how his facial expression turned from worry to serious. "I forgot my house key at your place."_

"_Oh." Sasuke muttered, breathing out a relieved sigh. A frown mourned his face as he gave her his most serious tone that made her break into a giggle, "_That _**is**__ serious."_

_Then, to Sakura's surprise, Sasuke handed the umbrella to her as he walked off to either sides of her house, looking around before striding to her porch windows. He reached for the sills and tried yanking them up._

"_Ummm?" Sakura wasn't sure what he was doing. She stood beside him and leaned down to his bent height and whispered in his ear, "What are you doing?"_

"_We," he started, his eyes flickering to hers for a brief second before turning his attention back the window sill and gave it a tug, "are breaking in."_

_She broke into a fit of laughter, "What, you mean to tell me, we're breaking into my own house?"_

_Sasuke stops and turns to her with a smug look on his face, "Is that a crime?"_

_Chuckling at the irony of crime rates, Sakura shook her head, "In my case, no. But for you, I'll make an exception."_

"_Thanks," he rolled his eyes. She smiled and watched as he tried the other window, then under the door mat, the flower pots lining the porch; the mailbox—which Sakura gave him an unusual look as he shrugged in response—and finally reached into his own pockets and pulled out his car keys. "Or, we can go back to the house."_

_Smooth, Sakura chuckles inwardly at Sasuke's failure to break in. Shaking her head in amusement, Sakura grins like a Cheshire cat and purrs mockingly at Sasuke, "Giving up early? What's the fun in that?" He frowns and she didn't miss his pout as he crosses his arms over his chest. With a turn on her heel, she leads him to the side of her house. "Follow me, let the real pro show you how it's done."_

_Sasuke followed the pinkette as she crossed over to her back fence that mirrored a long vine trellis that reached a side window of her bedroom, she clarified. Looking skywards, Sasuke watched as Sakura climbed to her window and slid it open before slipping in. Peeking her head out to tell him to meet her back at the front, she came nose to nose with him instead._

"_You're really full of surprises," Sakura muses aloud as Sasuke lets himself in._

"_Women likes surprises."_

"_Not me," She declares, shaking her head despite her recollection of Sasuke taking her places she's always dreamed of seeing, "I'm done with surprises since…" Since her parents left abroad for their missionary trip and the love triangle with Sai. She swallowed, wanting to forget the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach, and stuttered, "N-nevermind." _

_Sasuke must have understood as he shut her window and led her to her bed to sit. He watched as she plopped onto her bed, curling into ball as she whispered worriedly to him, "You must have waited long for me."_

_Sakura glanced at him as he loosened his tie and sat on the edge of her bed and leaned back on his hands as he looked across her room, "If you think so."_

_Was he? She wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or not but for her, she knew he hadn't been driving in his car or his hands wouldn't be freezing like that. She glared at him slightly, trying to figure out his real intentions. "I do!" She blurted, sitting up and yanking his hands from behind him to her side. She gripped them, watching how his hands turned from pale to yellow, "I really think so! Your hands are freezing—no wonder you can't tell time apart."_

_He's in denial, she looked on narrowing her eyes at him as he exchanged a quiet snicker at her joke. He pulled his hands away slightly only to twist the position where he was holding her hands instead and rubbed the back of her palm in a circular motion with his thumbs. His next words surprised her as he whispered back, "What happened?"_

"_Happened? What do you mean?" Furrowing her brows, she couldn't comprehend what he was asking. He let go of her right hand and then cradled her face, his thumb tracing the dried tears she had been crying from earlier. She pursed her lips. _

"_You were crying earlier." It wasn't a question, rather a statement. But how? Questions raced in her mind, he had noticed even though it was raining! The pinkette widened her eyes slightly, her nose tingled from his touch. She couldn't help but wonder if his next prediction was going to be ask about Naruto._

"_Are you feeling a bit home sick?" Well, that wasn't what she had expected to hear him say. Licking her bottom lip, she listened as Sasuke continued from his stand point, "Is that why you're here?"_

_Yes. How'd he know? During her drive home, she thought of calling Sasuke and letting him know where she was at or rather, when she'd be home. However, the pit feeling stopped her from doing so. She had some things to think about and didn't want to ring Sasuke up if he had went to bed early. Silly her. She thought her of house; how quiet it must be if she had never met Sasuke. She'd be like him except she'd be worst off with a live ex and a broken heart. She wouldn't have made friends with Naruto, Crayon and the crazy taxi driver, Kiba. She wouldn't have met Hinata either if it wasn't for Naruto. _

_Naruto._

_Her message didn't get through in that thick head of his and she didn't bother to text him like he told her to. She really needed to tell him of her situation with Sasuke and their contract, however, she didn't want to ruin her friendship by making him antsy. Either way, it's going to be unbearable and troublesome if she kept this up. She didn't like lying to her close ones, but who was she to complain—she had practically kept up her farce feelings for her deceased ex in a relationship that was already done for years beforehand. She supposed Naruto thought she had rejected him and didn't want her to see his sadness so he pushed her away and said his goodnight. _

_He didn't even give her a chance…like she didn't give him a chance. Sakura's eyes widen at the reverse realization. Sure, she went on adventures with Naruto and had a great time with him, but she really thought he'd make a good couple with Hinata since she feels that the young Hyuuga has a thing for the blond. Of course, if she were to date Naruto, she'd want to do it out of love and not out of satisfaction for the opposite gender. _

"_Sakura?" Sasuke's voice entered her mind as she reveled in the possibilities and outcomes of dating. "Earth to Sakura."_

_Blinking, Sakura averted her jade eyes and locked onto worried noir eyes, "Yes?"_

"_Welcome back," The corner of his mouth lifted as he stood and their hands dropped. "It's late. You should get cleaned up and ready for bed."_

_She nodded in understanding and stood up as well. As she was heading out to her bathroom, she heard Sasuke imply softly, "When you're ready Sakura, I'm all ears."_

_She continued on to the bathroom and closed the door, and rested her back against the door. Sasuke…he was so sweet to her; a gentleman, she declared, smiling to herself. A stranger that would lend an ear, a hand, a heart to someone like her. Her smile faded as two images of yellow and black flickered in memory. They were both strangers whom she enjoyed being with. Sakura felt like she was living a double life and that's when she came to a second decision._

_She will not tell Naruto the exact truth of her living standards only to prevent him from making his friendship with Sasuke less obstinate; and she will not tell Sasuke her feelings of being a pity case to him that will object her from getting a job to help pay rent. She didn't think bending the truth would hurt them more than it'd hurt her._

_Oh boy, was she wrong._

_The next morning, Sasuke drove him and her back to the city and dropped her off at his place. After she watched him drive to his workplace, she had texted Naruto. _

_Sent: Naruto_

_From: Sakura_

_Text: I have something important to tell you but we can't let Sasuke know._

"I figured if your roommate isn't up to meeting me," Naruto started, scratching the back of his head, "One, she must have some anthropophobia or arrhenphobia," Sakura cocks a brow in amusement. "Two, she really hates me for stealing your time away from her; or three, I'm just that handsome."

"Oh yes, it's definitely three." Sakura rolls her eyes at his dense state-of-mind. _Okay, maybe she bent the truth a little bit too much,_ she thought.

"_I actually moved in with a friend of mine." Truth._

"_She's always busy." Bent Truth. _

"_However, she's not too fond of boys." Truth._

"_I made a roommate contract with her." Truth._

"_As long as I tell her my whereabouts in exchange for hers, we don't have to worry about calling nine." Truth. _

"_I have a tight curfew." Lie._

He grins wide and takes a seat at the bar and gives a pat on the stool next to his. Hesitant, Sakura's eyes flickers to the non-moving door behind her before taking the offered seat. As much as Sakura wanted to know Naruto's acquaintance, she really didn't want to confront Temari right in front of Naruto when she comes back with the position.

Licking her lips in nervousness, Sakura clears her throat before letting out a stutter and curses herself inwardly, "So, what time are you meeting your acquaintance?"

The back of Naruto's throat hums in question before looking over at the clock above the bar's sign. "Well, I really didn't give him a choice. I just gave him an estimate time and showed up here on my own."

Wait, what? So, she's in the safe zone because Naruto didn't really give this guy an actual time? "Er, Naruto," Sakura shakes her head at the dim-witted blond before asking what his friend looked like.

"He has red hair and a tattoo on his temple that reads love in kanji!" Naruto babbled, giving Sakura a full description of the man as Sakura looked around her for said man, but felt secured when she didn't see him. "Oh, I can't wait to see his face when he comes out!"

"Oh, I wonder," Sakura began, feeling like she'd know how things would turn out for Naruto. She noticed when it came to friends of Naruto, he wasn't the brightest bulb out of the bunch, or maybe he just acts like that because he's the laid-back sort of guy.

Shrugging off the bias thought, Sakura paid no mind to the door's bell as she listened to the rest of Naruto's praising of his said acquaintance. She should really be going despite her false curfew, yet she wanted to see the red-head and stay for the confirmation of the job position from Temari. **Oh, she's in a pinch, alright!**

"Oh, by the way," Naruto hunched over the counter, whipping his head towards Sakura's direction and quickly retracted his position to a sit-up. Confused, Sakura turned her head to see the door swinging but no one was there. "I've always been wondering…what _is_ your roommate's name?"

And at that moment Sakura turned around, her eyes widened in a disturbed motion that the words just slipped out from her mouth, "Sasuke?!"

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A/N: I thought of stopping here but then I would be dodging flying metal cats! =) Here's what I was going to post for chapter 23; but I owe you guys a longer chapter!

P.S. – You get to see Sasuke in action during his job!

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Sasuke's POV

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Sasuke held the door open for Mei to walk through and as she did so, she blocked his view from the dim lights that shone from the bar. Sweeping her arm out, she waved over to the corner of the club and suggested to sit in an enclosed space where no one could disturb their business conversation.

Sasuke agreed politely even though looking around the club's seating arrangement, he noticed not many people were present.

Leading him to their table, Mei plopped her files she brought onto the table and sat down, her back facing the bar as Sasuke came to sit opposite from her. "Now that we're in a secluded place," Mei began, opening her folder which contained profiles and images clipped to each papers stacked on top of each other. "Let's talk."

Sasuke sat straight, his back hunched a bit over the table and clasped his hands in a business manner of dealing.

"From the date you have presented in court of the victim, Sakura Haruno's attack. We managed to trace back one of the train's cart video feeds that Ms. Haruno was on and found who you may be looking for." She picks out a profile from within her stack and slides it across the table. "Kakashi Hatake. Retired Captain of Konoha Police Force. Age 35, weight 68kg; height 5'9. He has long, spiky, silver hair and black eyes.

"We contacted Konoha's Police Force Headquarters to see what information they could give up regarding Mr. Hatake."

"And?"

"The address on here," Mei points on the paper, "is different from what KPFH informed us. As for family and relatives, Mr. Hatake has none. It seems we're stuck at square one."

"So, he can't be found?" Sasuke held his chin in one hand, scrutinizing Hatake's profile and thinking how strangely familiar the man's name felt to him. _Kakashi. _

"Not quite." Mei frowns, reaching into another folder and thumbs through it before pulling out two photocopied images in grayscale colors. "We followed up the video feed to each stop until Mr. Hatake got off."

Sliding both images towards him, Sasuke realizes the place it was taken at—a train station in Rain, the next village over. Raising a brow in curiosity, he catches the blurred figure in the first picture walking towards the camera's direction. Then, looking at the second picture, that man's back was clearly visible as what it seemed to Sasuke was that the cop was either rushing away from the train or running towards the exit. "Are the feeds faced recognition?"

"Only on the train," Mei explains, crossing her arms before leaning back into her chair. "Due to the many disruptions of inappropriate acts on trains, the city council made an issue policy for all city locomotive transportations including trains are to have their cameras changed to face recognition despite its violation of privacy. Since the stations are in the open, the city council suspected that very few wrongdoers are going to harm the citizens openly. So, they didn't bother changing the station cameras. Besides, each transportation station is required to have an equal amount of security for every exit."

Sasuke picked up the pictures and at the same time rested back onto his chair while he studied the images. From the back, what could Hatake be running from? Sasuke questioned inwardly, and why? Was he a fugitive or something? "Has he had any past cases in Rain; family—er, friends that live or lived in Rain that he could be visiting?"

Mei shakes her head absentmindedly, then pauses before taking out a note pad from her purse and flipped it to a blank sheet and started scribbling something down. "I knew I was missing something! I had thought to ask that to the chief; guess it slipped my mind." She looks up, her olive orbs locked onto his own, dark ones. With a tilt of her head, her lips formed into a sultry smile, "I'm glad I caught you before you left."

He shot her a curt nod in agreement, even though his primary reason was to solve this case for Sakura. Speaking of Sakura, he wondered what she was up to right about now. Maybe she's at home, alone, and waiting for his return, like she has been since she officially became his roommate. He got used to coming home around a quarter to eight to find Sakura snacking away on his couch, watching some show on TV. One time, she didn't come home until after midnight which sort of made him feel anxious and overworked with thoughts and scenarios of mishaps that Sakura could've gotten herself into and there he was, phone in hand ready to call nine when he heard the front door open and Sakura appeared, restless. He knew he shouldn't get his hopes up, especially since their agreement didn't entail a curfew, but he knew that nothing ever turns out good after dark.

Unexpectedly, a floral of bright colors swiped his vision and it took Sasuke a moment to double take what could confirm he wasn't imagining things. From across the room, a man with blazing, yellow hair and a loud boisterous voice he knew all too well, sat at the bar talking animatedly to whoever, was blocked from Sasuke's perception.

Excusing himself, Sasuke stood up and walked down the aisle towards the direction of the blonde. As he was closing in, Naruto turned and salmon colored hair filled in Sasuke's suspicions and the dim, olive eyes that locked on with his had confirmed just who he was thinking about earlier.

"Sasuke?!"

Sasuke was just as surprise as Sakura to see her at this kind of pub at this time of night. Naruto craned his body around and from confusion to glee, the blond landed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder blade. "Hey teme! What are you doing here?"

"I could be asking you the same," Sasuke grunted, wondering the same for both friends while keeping his eyes fixated on Sakura's.

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No One's POV

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Naruto crosses his arms behind his head and says casually, "Meeting a colleague. You remember Gaara, don't you?"

Sasuke nodded, his eyes never leaving Sakura's as she sat under his cool gaze feeling almost sick to her stomach. She bites her inner cheek, hoping her expression doesn't betray her reason for being there.

"So, Sakura didn't tag along with you this time?"

Sakura flicks her eyes to Naruto as he opens his mouth to reply and back to Sasuke's, blurting out, "We met here by chance." Sasuke raises a brow as Sakura smiles gently, her attention casting away from Sasuke's interrogative stare and towards the small stage, "I saw this place advertised and wanted to see what it was like."

Well, that wasn't what Sakura had told him, Naruto noted. He observed how Sakura became antsy all of a sudden when Sasuke stepped in. Is something going on between the two that's making Sakura behave like this? Looking up at the lawyer, the blond couldn't figure what his best friend was thinking—after all, Sasuke's stare was an heirloom that he inherited through his family's bloodline. Even, over the years Naruto has known Sasuke, he could only make familiar with Sasuke's monosyllabic words and his actions that have recently changed towards women, such as Sakura, herself.

_Well, she's with Naruto, at least. _Sasuke pondered, his attention now averting to the swinging door behind Sakura and the woman with blond hair pulled back in four ponytails. Behind her followed a red head that Sasuke remembered fairly from his days in University.

Catching Sasuke's eyes shift, Sakura glances behind her and feels her chest jump in recognition of Temari walking towards her; them!

"Hey, sorry, totally didn't catch your name," Temari grinned at Sakura as she walked up to the three. "What was it?"

"GAARA, MY MAN!" Naruto yelled, jumping off his stool and tackled the said man who appeared by Temari's side. Gaara teetered before straightening himself and landed a hand on Naruto's back, greeting him in retrospect. "Naruto."

Sasuke watched as the interaction between the two blonds started inversing with the redheads. For some reason, Sasuke felt like Sakura was avoiding him and Naruto was…well, Naruto.

"About that job," Temari announced, a little too loudly, catching both men's attention, "It's been closed and sealed with your name on it. Congratulations!"

"Job?" Both Sasuke and Naruto spoke with sincere confusion as they cast their eyes back and forth from Temari to Sakura. Sakura widened her eyes in shock, one because she finally got a job, and two, both men she knew would tell her to quit it immediately. _Now you really done it!_ Sakura's inner yelled at herself_, you're in __**deep!**_

"Yeah, our stage will be open for new entertainment. We can settle your schedule tonight if you like or tomorrow, whichever you prefer. You have our number!" Temari smiled at the trio before turning to the redhead, "This is Gaara, my brother. He's the manager of this place. And I'm Temari."

"Stage?" Sasuke turns his head to the left, spotting the small stage that spelled out temptation, whereas at the same time, Naruto questioned, "Entertainment?"

Maybe she should've taken her own advice earlier and left before this whole confrontation ever began. But if she had left then, then Temari would've probably asked Naruto and Naruto would've found out anyway. Her secret was bound to be exposed; it was better now than later, she guessed, guiltily.

Naruto stared dumbfounded at Temari then as if something had knocked some sense into his brain, he had figured out why Sakura was on edge around Sasuke. She probably overheard Sasuke threatening him to watch out for her whenever he hung out with her on most days. If Sasuke found out that Sakura got a job here—if this is what he was hearing—then Sasuke will definitely have his head! How thoughtful, he thought, to think Sasuke was caring enough to see his threat through, it was actually Sakura who was watching out for him and keeping havoc at bay. _She's so kind. _

_What is that dope grinning about?_ Sasuke furrows his brow in disgust and looked over at Sakura who stood there, stumped, her eyes casted to the floor in shame. _So, a job, huh? _Is that why Sakura has been out all those days he's been at work? She's been searching for jobs with Naruto but he didn't know why she couldn't tell him about it. _Why Naruto?_

"Sasuke?" A woman's voice broke interrupted the static aura of awkwardness between the individuals and snaked her arm through Sasuke's, pulling him towards her. "You were taking too long. I was wondering where you had gone."

"Oh, Mei."

Everyone turned their attention to the said woman who wore an outfit that screamed you-like-what-you-see. Sakura gaped at the auburn haired lady who grasped Sasuke's arm so familiarly like she was his damsel in distress and Sasuke just stood there, not paying attention to the vibes the lady was emitting. Was she a client of Sasuke's or a very close, close friend of his? Sakura narrowed her eyes in wariness.

"Whoa, Sasuke with a woman?" Naruto panned out, his eyes widening in shock. It's been awhile since Sasuke has been with another woman other than with Sakura—from what he's seen. "Already on one-name basis; are you guys on a date or something?"

"Can it." Sasuke glares.

The woman chuckles in amusement, her eyes flickering quickly to Naruto's and shows off her pearly, white teeth. "Unlikely, unfortunately." She removes herself from Sasuke's arm and steps forward, her hand outstretched for Naruto to shake. "Mei Terumi, a partner in crime with Sasuke, well professionally speaking, Mr. Uchiha."

"It's strictly business, dope." Sasuke says as Naruto quietly coughs in teasing mockery and places a hand on Mei's lower back. "I apologize for my absence. I will return to our table shortly."

"Take your time, I have all night." Mei winks and turns swiftly, her hand gliding from Sasuke's shoulder to the air as she calls out to Gaara for assistant. "My usual."

Gaara excuses himself from the group and goes behind the bar, taking a glass and making his customer her drink. On the other hand, Temari shakes her head and mutters 'prick tease' under her breath although Sakura caught on to the latter. Raising a rosy brow, Sakura kept an eye on Mei as she sauntered back to her table which happened to be enclosed in the shadows.

"What was that all about?" Sakura found herself speaking up without realizing until it was too late.

"Top secret." Sasuke said, ignoring Naruto's wiggling eye brows as Sakura snapped in attention, her lips forming the hidden words directed at her in which Sasuke nodded in return.

Standing astray from the trio, not knowing what was really going, Temari coughs allowing the trio to know she was still there. "Okay…well, if you need any "dance" ideas, I'll be happy to suggest you some."

"Wait, what "dance" do you me—" Naruto began but rudely interrupted by Sakura who freaked and yelled out, "NARUTO, didn't YOU say YOU NEEDED to RETURN a FAVOR?"

Everyone in the room flinched at the high pitch crack in different volumes. Temari squinted at Sakura, wondering what her problem was. Why is she yelling all of a sudden? "And this is why you're here," Temari waved at the blond and directing her next words to the pinkette, "to bring the noise to a minimum."

What kind of dance was Temari referring to for Sakura? It couldn't be what he was thinking, could it? Sure, this pub was a carnal club but could Sakura's job pertain to exotic forms of dance? Naruto's eyes widen at the thought of Sakura being touched by watchers as they grope her legs on stage or pin paper money on her underwear. WAIT, WHAT WILL BE HER UNIFORM?! THIS ISN'T SOME CABARET! _Craaap! _Naruto's inner shouted, his mind overloading with death scenarios Sasuke would be putting him through if he found out what her job description is exactly. He couldn't let that happen; he'll have to cover for Sakura since he owed her one!

"Okaaay, well, I'll be at the back. Call me if you need me." Temari looked between the three occupants before walking off.

Oh no! Speaking of her job position, Sakura almost forgot her pervert case that Sasuke has been filing to solve in court for three weeks now. He's still working on her case, probably talking business with that lady, Mei, was it? Oh, but if he found out that she'd be working as a dirty dancer, this whole job search wouldn't look good for appearances or her reputation in that matter.

"Sakura," Sasuke voiced, catching the trio's attention. He shifted his footing and turned ninety degrees to his left. "It's late. Is Naruto taking you home—" _He can't, because he thinks my roommate is a girl which is you and if he drives me to your house, he'll know off the bat! _Sakura thinks, her eyes widen and her mouth left agape."Or shall I?" He offered.

"I can take her home." Naruto answered for Sakura, hoping to talk to Sakura about her certain choice of occupation.

"Uh, no, that's alright!" Sakura surrendered two arms up and shook her head, "You have a colleague to meet, remember? And a favor to return, at that."

The blond curses under his breath before looking off to search for Gaara's whereabouts but didn't see him. "Well, I can always postpone our meeting another time. My priority is getting you home before your roommate hates me even more!"

At that, Sasuke whips his neck around, confused to why Naruto would think that Sakura's roommate would hate him. He at least thought that Sakura had told the blond about her situation since she practically hangs around him a lot; almost every day, in fact. What was holding Sakura back from telling Naruto the truth? Or is it that she can't for some dire reason?

"No!" Sakura states firmly, "You made Gaara wait for far too long. You need to see this through and get your favor over with. I'll be fine. I can just take a taxi and—"

"No," Both Sasuke and Naruto demanded at the same time. Naruto steps forward, grabbing Sakura's wrist tightly, "Sakura, it's late and it's not safe for a girl like yourself to hail a taxi; as cute as you are, god forbid you get taken somewhere other than your requested designation."

"Oh please, you guys are exaggerating!" Sakura rolls her eyes, and pulls out her phone, "I can just thumb Kiba and make him pick me up. Besides, if he does anything to me, I give you guys permission to sic him."

"Sakura…please take this seriously. We're from the city, we know its routes and crime rates. Take my advice and let me take you home. Gaara will understand."

"Naruto's right." Sasuke agreed, placing a hand on his hip. Sakura looked helpless at Sasuke as Naruto nodded, "See? Even Sasuke agrees."

"Naruto will stay and finish what he's started. I will drive you home." Sasuke stated, a frown marring his face. Naruto did a double take at what Sasuke had said before slumping his shoulders in defeat and spotted Gaara walking towards them.

"Sasuke…" Sakura breathed out as Gaara reached them and waved Naruto over to the back. Naruto followed heed, his head bowed in disappointment, leaving Sakura and Sasuke alone.

"Listen," Sasuke began, "I came here with Mei to discuss some more information regarding your case. You may join us in the back if you like since you're the center of attention. Or, you can make arrangements with Temari about this occupation you've applied for."

Pursing her lips in surprise, Sakura couldn't believe what she had just heard. Did Sasuke approve of her first job without knowing what it actually entailed? Maybe Sasuke doesn't know what this club is, despite the pub's sign that spelled it out loud and clear. Or, maybe Sasuke thinks she'd be doing some comedic act on stage rather than dancing sexily. "Uh, yeah, I can wait." She looked passed Sasuke to see Mei sitting crossed legged, her arms clasped at the knee, looking back at her with an amused smile on her face. A shiver ran down Sakura's back, her imagination turning wild. She really didn't want to leave Sasuke with Mei, however, she really needed to sort her stuff with Temari.

"How long will your business meeting take?"

"Not too long, hopefully."

"Oh, okay. Um, I'm going to talk to Temari then. I'll see you in a little bit."

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Sasuke's POV

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Sasuke turn on foot once again after Sakura made her way to Temari at the back. Strolling back to his table, Sasuke apologized to Mei for making a long break even though it was her who invited him to talk business. He felt bad for taking up her time and offered to buy her a drink but she refused.

"Now, where were we?" Sasuke tried recalling their earlier discussion. He sat down in a defeated slouch; his shoulders felt like lead and the fact that his day had dragged on this long, he didn't know how long he could hold out before collapsing from lack of sleep.

Mei waves the files in one hand, refreshing his memory with a quick summary and showed off her notes that she came up with to investigate later that week. "I got a call from headquarters ten minutes ago about the nine call Ms. Haruno made on the train. Since the train feed isn't audible and it's nearly impossible to retrace voice calls for something small as this case, I came to thinking, why would the man on the receiver end not take his job seriously?"

Sasuke presses his lips in a thin line and gave her a pointed look.

Continuing, the sandy haired woman held up two fingers, "Even though the man works as an emergency operator, one, sometimes they get prank calls. Or, two, the dispatcher isn't really on the job, and makes a prank phone call to a random caller."

Ah, Sasuke nods slowly, his imagination taking in the two scenarios. It's an either or situation, really. He could relate to the first reason since his job has a list of past prank calls. As for the second reason, he could imagine his employees getting revenge by picking up their lines and pretending to be who they really aren't, however, that would lead to penalties or being fired on the spot. But what had Sasuke thinking was all thanks to Mei's words, being an emergency dispatcher is a serious job; every action and every word is recorded, so… WAIT! _Every…word…is…recorded… _What has he been doing with his time! Why didn't he realize it sooner? He knows Sakura wasn't pranking because of the fax voice mail he received (evidence #1) and he had a feeling not many women, such as Sakura would pick up on random numbers when she's in a situation as she was during the train ride. That could only mean two things. It's either a dispatcher who doesn't care enough for his job or a prankster who wiggled his way into the telephone lines to play with people's heads.

"Okay, this is what I want you to do, Mei." Sasuke began, his mind reeling with ideas, places, facts, and a note to buy some coffee for the next upcoming days. "Get permission from the judge to access the Emergency Communication Centers for evidence. There is something I have to check…just to make sure."

"All?"

"Yes, seeing that there are different departments for emergencies. After all, isn't common sense that anytime you call nine, your call is automatically recorded, regardless if the circumstances are real or not?"

"Any specifications?"

"I will deal with the specifications; you'll get more information on Mr. Hatake." Sasuke spoke with a determined tone, his tiredness fading away now that he got a foot in on solving this case.

Mei nods, understandingly. "What about the pervert? He's not in captivity as of yet. Maybe…"

That's right. Mei was on the same page as he was. Maybe Kakashi went after the pervert in Rain! "Isn't it weird though? We didn't hear anything about the said man being reported for disrupt activity in Rain."

"Hm, that is strange. That could probably only mean one thing." Mei began.

"And that is?"

"He could be a citizen of Rain and be under special protection. After all, Rain nation does have different laws from us Fire nation."

"Good catch," Sasuke made note of it mentally. "Well, check on that to be sure." Now for the retired officer, he wondered what happened to him. If he went after the lewd predator, he could've caught the man or lost him. But since he's no longer in service, it's not his job to justify the law or even to catch fugitives.

"_And you know what's funny, I got hit on by a pervert and saved by a cop who is a pervert." [16] _He recalled Sakura's story from back then.

That's it! He did notice something off from the pictures, and plus, he remembered something very significant that may satisfy his unanswered setback. "Mei, let me see those pictures of Mr. Hatake again please!"

"Sure," Mei muttered, taking out the images and hanging them over to Sasuke.

From the back, the cop looked normal but from the front, his jacket was winged apart as he was running and from the inside flap of his jacket—from what he could make out—was a spine of a book. And on that spine had a symbol Sasuke recognized from Naruto's collection of lewd books that the blond had left at his place once. [11]

"_Whoa, dude, what's up with your face?" Naruto's mouth rounded an O shape as he barged in the ajar door Sasuke had opened to peek out of. _

_Sasuke muttered a curse as he covered his forehead with his palm and glared at Naruto who walked in his house without permission. Of course, he should be used to Naruto's rude antics by now, but being raised as a respectful gentleman and having a blond for a best friend, habits die hard. _

_Sasuke sighs, his face stoic of emotion as he closed the door behind the blonde. "What are you doing here, dope?"_

_Naruto turns on foot and runs a hand through his spiked yellow hair, "What, I can't see an old friend of mine?" He glances at Sasuke's raised eye brow, "Best friend?"_

_Rolling his eyes at the blonde, Sasuke narrowed his eyes for a split second before watching his friend become overly nervous and turned his back on him. "What are you here for really?"_

"_Well, while I was clocking out from my job, I got a call in reminding me that you and I have a meeting conference to attend to in two hours. So, I thought, hey why not come get you and chill at your place before then?" Naruto ranted as Sasuke sighed, running his hand through his black locks and leaned against the door. "And everyone thinks I'm slow, geez, it took you forever to open the damn door!"_

"_Is that all?" Sasuke asked, taking his phone in hand and opening his calendar to check for any appointments. Indeed, Naruto was telling the truth and they have a meeting in two hours from now._

"_Oh yeah! The other day, I think I left a package in your room, under your bed." Naruto chirped, passing Sasuke on the way to the stairs. _

_Package? Last Naruto had been over, he didn't recall a package Naruto had with him… or did he sneak it in and left it at his place for safe keeping? Suspicious, Sasuke strode over to Naruto and grabbed his shoulder, stopping him from the climbing the staircase, "What is this package you're talking about?"_

_Naruto jerked away, his eye lid twitching—a sign, Sasuke recognized as Naruto's anxious lying face, "It's just several books I got in the mail from a rather…good teacher of mine back in the day!"_

_From all the years Sasuke has known Naruto, his lying face was an open book to Sasuke meaning it couldn't be good. "You, read? Impossible! The last I ever seen you read is a picture book!"_

_Naruto's face reddens as he grabs onto Sasuke's phone and enters the web. Sasuke snatches his phone as the search engine uploads and looks at the website. A photo on the right shows a row of Chronicle Icha Icha books with a trademark symbol on the top spine, signifying an H* in the middle of a V sign. "What the?"_

"_Yeah, so the three other books are upstairs."_

"_You mean to tell me, there are hentai comic books under my bed the whole time and you didn't tell me?" Sasuke's eye twitched and hoped while he was sick that Sakura didn't search under his bed and found them. What would she think of him then if she knew?_

"_Well, I knew if you found out, you'd throw them away!" Naruto turned on foot and rushed up the stairs, "It'll only be quick!"_

_Sasuke followed heed, his mind going on alert as the image of Sakura entered his mind. Naruto entered his room after assuming he had something hiding in his room that he didn't want Naruto to see. "I want to see!"_

_Sasuke was relieved to find out that Sakura wasn't inside or else Naruto would go berserk and interrogate him about having a girl in his room, nonetheless, Sakura. He watched as Naruto bent down and reached under his bed and grabbed what the blond had mentioned downstairs, a package. It wasn't big but the corners were a bit ripped from the tight wrappings. "See!" Naruto let out a laugh, "What'd I tell you?"_

Sasuke felt the corners of his lip twitch in amusement as he remembered finding Sakura in his bathroom's tub, hiding from Naruto. He didn't know why she went into hiding, maybe the same reason he hoped Naruto wouldn't find out about Sakura in his room.

"Is there something amusing that I'm missing out on?" A woman's voice snaps Sasuke from his reverie. He looks up at the sandy haired woman and shakes his head. He hands back the pictures and relieves her for the night.

"Well, aren't you a keeper!" She chuckles. "Why didn't we meet sooner?" She huffs, putting on a pouty expression and shifts her position in a more curious manner: elbows on the table and hands cradling her chin. "It's too bad we're rivals; oh, you and I are a lost cause!"

_They wouldn't work out anyway,_ he thought amused at her words, _seeing how she isn't interested in a relationship. _"Speaking of lost cause, the next court date is at the end of this week. I say we gather as much Intel and have another meeting to put the pieces together."

"Hah, you see, this is what I mean— you're too uptight; strictly business. Exactly what I find appealing in a man such as yourself." Mei grins, her olive eyes fluttering as if she was in absolute bliss. "Unfortunately, you're just not my type."

"Getting the last word, eh?" Sasuke smirks, then stands and lends out a hand. "_Pleasure _doing business with you."

Getting up as well, Mei takes Sasuke's hand and gives it a tight, but firm shake, knowing very well that Sasuke had contradicted her dominance. "The _pleasure _is all mine."

As Sasuke let go and picked up his jacket, Mei had her things gathered in her arms and was standing in the aisle, her body closing in on Sasuke's. Almost colliding with her, Sasuke stood a foot away, watching as she leaned in and whispered, "Oh, you may want to keep an eye out for your little _girl_friend. She seems like the type to attract trouble."

Sasuke couldn't agree any less, nodding in conviviality, "You don't say."

Retracting her steps, she bid Sasuke with a seductress walk out the door of the pub and then she was gone. Sasuke walked away from the table and swipe his sight around the said room and spotted the pinkette sitting in front of the stage, her body slouched over with her head resting on her arms.

Walking towards her table, his eyes lowered in a gentleness and he bent down to her level. With her eyes close in sleep, Sasuke wondered if he should wake Sakura or not. He decided on the latter.

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A/N: Hey guys, this few weeks have been hectic. With spring break over and midterms, I finally got down to writing this freaking two chapter story put into one (all for you readers!) BTW, [#] are flashbacks that refer to the chapters already posted on . Hope you guys enjoyed reading this. Check my profile for upcoming chapters!


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